


The Morning After

by TrinityRose



Category: The Flash
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Au hoping to become canon soon, Drama, F/M, Romance, Science Fiction, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-12 16:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12963801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinityRose/pseuds/TrinityRose
Summary: My version of what happens after 4x09 – snowells!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The beginning is how I would love the next episode to start:P dah!! and I have a lot of issues I want to adress.  
> Here's a short promo video:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MDavqhWlSg

Caitlin was woken up by an incessant ringing.

She huffed through her half-asleep state, doing her best to ignore her cell, but it just refused to shut down. She really didn't get enough rest this night and she wanted to stay in and… she stilled, suddenly remembering exactly _why_ she was so tired. But also so deliciously relaxed as though all the worries, all her troubles and all the tension inside of her were finally just gone. The day before she'd been worried about her friends rather hanging out with her villainous alter-ego – the evil part somehow becoming more obscure – and then she had the occasion to just be herself, Caitlin Snow m.d. And boy, didn't it feel good! She actually considered wearing a power dampener so Killer Frost would only be allowed out when Snow truly needed it.

That damned phone! She really wanted to keep complaining, but soon after that, she reminded herself that in her world she couldn't truly afford not answering, so she groaned and heaved herself up from the warm and cozy bed, reaching to the floor where her phone had to be… somewhere, she groaned again when picking it up when it was left discarded right next to her dress.

"Yeah?" she finally managed to pick it up and then she heard the distress in Iris's voice. "Wait, Iris, slow down… What happened?" she asked a moment later, all the happiness and easiness of the morning slipping away, leaving the all-so-familiar fear and anticipation.

"God, you're cold," she suddenly heard a voice from the other side of the bed and she stilled, forcing Killer Frost back under her own control. It wouldn't do good for the man in her bed to actually discover that she let her alter ego show up when they were naked.

Still, beside that, Caitlin ignored the complainer and didn't even hear him nagging her what was going on and asking if she was always so groggy in the morning.

Finally, she hung up the phone, her face nearly ashen when she fell back on the covers.

"Snow?" he asked then, seeing that something really bad must've happened.

"Barry's been arrested," she informed when finally facing Harrison Wells lying on the other side of her bed.

"For what?" Wells asked, not feeling out of place when being naked in her bed at all.

Wait… how it happened exactly? Snow tried to recall, feeling really guilty that she was concerned about Harry instead of already trying to figure out means to exonerate Barry. Then again, maybe the right person to call about _that_ particular problem would be Ralph. Joe was already in jail, fixing Barry a lawyer, but Caitlin remembered that it was Ralph who'd been through something similar like this with Barry himself. Only back then it was actually Barry who'd brought Dibny down. Would the guy be willing to help as he was now a part of the team?

Snow closed her eyes and brought her hands to her face, groaning again.

"You do that a lot, you know? Although I do find it oddly appealing," she then heard Harry say and before she knew it, he was taking her hands away and she was suddenly right into his arms, his body pressed against her own with no barriers between them and then his lips were kissing her and damn it, if she didn't love every second of it! There was also something else. Something clearly poking her right in the stomach, making her feel deliciously warm inside.

"Is this even normal when it comes to a man your age?" she asked about that particularly hard _thing_ and he stilled on hearing the question.

"Now, Snow, you've just offended me. I am not _that_ old."

"Don't I know that?" she sighed and gave in to the kissing again, abandoning all of her boundaries before feeling guilty once more that she seemed to be so carefree when Barry was in jail. Then again, it wasn't as though he hadn't been completely focused on Iris when trying to save her life for all cost, leaving Snow – or maybe rather Killer Frost then – to fend for herself and Savitar to get to her first. Yeah, she might be happy that Barry was back and and all, but… Maybe that was it. Maybe despite Caitlin being happy for Barry and Iris, she was just a little bit jealous. Not for Barry, just for the idea of being lucky enough to have true love.

In her mind, she came back to the night before when she and Harry had left Joe's house together, him being the gentleman and offering to walk her to her apartment. She didn't even know how things escalated from there. One moment they were talking and she mentioned something about him always knowing what to say and always understanding her as there was this connection between them and then him confessing she had a way of bringing his soft side to the surface. Then she remembered the kiss and the sparks it ignited. It was surprising, really, that after her searching for the right man, after her desperately holding on to any kind of happiness she could get either trying with Hunter or Julian, in the end she seemed to have found that with Harrison Wells. With _Harry_. He'd been there all along and she couldn't even see it. Maybe it was because of his age, she thought then when standing on the street, snow falling on them as they were kissing. Maybe she should've looked closer. Maybe she should've seen that he was a good man, that she could trust him, that he was already in any secret that might've been a barrier for her to get close to someone else. He was reliable and… and before he hadn't even lived on her earth, so maybe that was why. She knew he wasn't going to stay, so she subconsciously distanced herself from him. She pictured herself this perfect life with a guy who would look like Ronnie, who would be her age, with whom she could build what she'd intended to with his predecessor, but now she realized it just wasn't right. She shouldn't live in her past. She should move on. God knew she wasn't even the same person now that she'd been then. She'd changed so much.

She still wasn't sure how this could work out, she thought when Harrison so eagerly reminded her the events from the night before. He was so attentive, so passionate, so… she stopped thinking at some point and just started to feel. In fact, there was nothing else she could do at the moment. And oh, boy, did she need that! How long had it been? She started wondering and immediately stopped counting. She'd never slept with Hunter – thank God – and it never truly felt right Julian no matter how hard she tried to tell herself he was perfect for her, so… yeah…

Nothing mattered anymore. Just Harrison and his body that fitted hers so surprisingly well and…

Right after, when they were both lying on their backs, breathing heavily; her eyes for the first time actually took a closer look at his exposed body, finding it very much appealing – his face might've betrayed his true age, but his flesh most definitely not, which came as a surprise to Snow, knowing how fond he was of the Big Belly Burger. Still, he was very active and he ate healthy when not counting the BBB snacks he so often snacked on between meals.

"Wait… what was it that you said before…?" he suddenly asked with a frown, turning his head to look at her and being immediately distracted by the sight of her body. She felt the sudden urge to put the sheet over her, which she did.

"Barry got arrested. They found him standing right over DeVoe's dead body," Caitlin finally explained, bringing herself back to reality. Harrison, on the other side, seemed to be at loss for words. "We have to go. He's been framed and we need to help him." She jumped out of bed and hit the shower. Quite frankly, now that the tension was released and she reminded herself once more what they should be doing, she felt guilty and… slightly odd about the whole thing. Was it the right call to hook up with Harrison Wells anyways? The man wore the face of the one person who'd betrayed her and was responsible for her finance's and then husband's death. Still, she also went for Zoom, which was so stupid of her that she still hadn't managed to forgive herself. She should've seen the signs and instead she got herself so worked up in the idea of finding someone to be happy with that she missed them all. She hadn't even managed to let go of that notion with Julian, which was just another mistake added to the pile. And Harry was there through almost all of it. She was the first person on the team to have actually found a connection with him. She remembered as he wanted to leave and she followed him to a bar to convince him to stay and then when she was kidnapped by Grodd, he came to get her. She couldn't deny not feeling _something_ there with the intensity of both his actions and his eyes. Only he was searching for his daughter. There was no time to even think about getting closer to him. When he got shot and she thought she wouldn't be able to save his life, that was the worst feeling she'd ever had and she never admitted that to anyone, even to herself. Until now. Still, what was the point of trying to get closer to him when he was leaving with Jesse? When he was so many years her senior. When she shouldn't have all those feelings. In the end, they got squashed, buried deeply inside, forgotten. Resurfacing once when she thought he was gone again, when this time Godd kidnapped Harry himself, luring him to the jungle and they all went to save him. She couldn't help her emotions when she saw that he was actually alive.

Did all of that mean…? Did she…?

Still, it wasn't like she had time for that _now_. There never seemed to be any time for her, for her needs and for her own happiness, she realized with bitterness. She loved Barry, she did. He was like a brother to her and she understood his actions, so in the end she forgave him, but in the same time it didn't mean that she wasn't disappointed in him all the same. He lost both his parents, had a chance to get them back and screwed with all of their lives in the process. She actually thought what she would do if she could bring Ronnie back that way and eventually decided to just let it go and forgive Barry. Only because of what Barry had done, she'd manifested powers and her worst nightmare – Killer Frost – sometimes occupied her body, taking over. It was better now that she was actually fighting for the good guys, but there were times Caitlin was afraid that once she let her out, her alter ego would finally find a way to kill her and remain like this forever. Forget happy ending. Forget happiness and children and the right man. None of those things seemed to be in Caitlin's cards anymore. Barry was the one who got it all. He got Iris. He got to marry her against all odds.

And was now in jail.

Once again, Caitlin forced herself to think straight. She needed to help him. She needed to, because he would do the same for her.

Or maybe not. She was always there, saving his life, helping him, putting his own welfare above her own. They all did that. All except him.

And she was still alone. She was the one getting the worst kind of powers. She was the lonely one. She was the lost one.

She shook her head.

This was just her life and there was nothing she could do about it. Maybe that part hurt the most in the end.

And she still had to deal with naked Harry in her bedroom.

God, she hoped he was dressed by now and ready to head out.

And who was she kidding? She might've felt something stir in her heart every time he did something wonderful for her or was in danger, but were those actual feelings? She'd never considered them before because there truly was no reason to.

She had so much figuring out to do. Somehow, her life had become even more complicated…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, no Flash today, but maybe this will cheer you up: )

_The night before_

With both Barry and Iris gone and everyone else leaving shortly after, Caitlin and Harry seemed to be the only remaining guests in Joe's house when not counting Ralph who was clearly overstaying his welcome. He was just slowly maneuvering towards Caitlin, staggering which indicated his exaggeration with eggnog. Harry, seeing the woman's predicament and easily foreseeing that he would either have to take Dibny home or leave him to sleep it off on Joe's couch, fastened up with a proposition.

"How about I'll walk you back home, Snow?"

She looked up at him, grateful for the rescue. She didn't really have to be worried about wondering the streets in the dark since she was about ten times more powerful than Harry and his glock that he always carried, but it would be nice to have company, so she quickly nodded with a smile and before she knew it, he was handing her over her coat and they were saying goodbye to Joe when leaving as fast as though the house was on fire. The look on West's face did not miss their attention, but then again, none of them really wanted to take care of drunk Dibny.

At first, they walked the snowy and abandoned streets in silence, Snow actually noticing that despite her not really feeling the cold or maybe not being bothered by it, it was clearly getting to Harry. He didn't complain, though and kept the slow pace, just enjoying her company. They always did that, she realized. They felt comfortable when left alone with each other, they didn't even have to talk to break any awkward silence, they also never bickered like Harry often did with Cisco. They just felt relaxed and somehow safe together.

"Some kind of Christmas, hah?" Harry finally asked, but again, it wasn't because the silence was getting to them, but because he just wanted to talk.

"Yeah. I wonder when we'll have a normal Christmas Eve."

"Try never," he said and she laughed at that.

"You might be right."

"Being around Barry will always get us into trouble. We'll always end up being hurt or kidnapped or… speaking of which, are you ok?" he asked her that question for the first time since the team had rescued her. They didn't really have the time for any small talk before as Barry had still been with DeVoe.

"Yeah. I guess being taken a few times made it easier on me." Caitlin shrugged.

Harry came to a sudden stop and then his hand was on her shoulder and she was turning to look into those blue eyes of his in surprise.

"That shouldn't be a new normal for you and you know it," he said in a rather harsh voice.

"But what can I do? I got myself into that mess," she told him. "I wish I could just blame Barry for this, but it's not right. _I_ got involved with Amunet."

"Have you forgotten that if Barry hadn't gone back in time _in the first place,_ you would have probably never had those powers?"

And never joined Savitar. Never betrayed anyone. Never died because they would've been able to actually get her to a hospital…

Caitlin saddened when realizing all of that. "I know," she then admitted quietly, actually feeling cold for the first time since she'd tuned into Killer Frost. Maybe there was just something about Harry that brought out vulnerability in her. Then again, he always went straight to the point.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly apologized to her surprise.

"Don't worry about it. You're right." She nodded when biting on her lip and then just resumed her walk.

"You gotta stop bringing strays to our parties, though, Snow," he then mentioned just to see her smile. And he did.

"I can't help it. When I feel someone's in need, I just help them without thinking about it. It's just who I am."

"And that's exactly what I like about you," he confessed and she just had to look at him again. "Can't you see? No matter how scared you are that Killer Frost could hurt someone or God forbid kill, you're the best person I know. I'm certain that she's turned a new leaf just because of your influence on her."

Caitlin really didn't know what to say to that. Harry's words touched her in a way no one else's could.

"Thank you, Harry," it was then that she stopped by the building in which she lived, "for always seeing the best of me," she added with a smile.

"Thank you for always smoothing out my edges," he retaliated to which she shot him a questioning look. "Ok, don't repeat that to anyone and especially Cisco," he warned her first with a playful smile on his face, "but you seem to be the only person who's able to bring out my soft side. Well, except Jesse, of course, but that's just because she's my daughter. I'm actually mostly just plain angry with her."

Caitlin laughed at that.

"Yeah, I guess I did notice that you seem different around me," she nodded after a moment of consideration. "I don't know, I guess there's always been this connection between us. You always know what to say to me and you actually _understand_ me."

They were standing there for a moment, just smiling to each other and suddenly, for the first time in his company, Caitlin felt slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't anything he did or say, it was just the way he was looking at her now that seemed to be so different that scared her in a way she couldn't really explain.

They were just about to say goodbye when he surprised her by reaching his had to her face and brushing her cheek. Then, suddenly, his face came closer and before she could think or say something or react, his lips touched her in a gentle, small and tentative kiss.

She was completely taken aback, but could feel the world standing still as though they were the only people existing in it.

Another second later, when she actually kissed him back, she discovered that she wanted this, which surprised her again and took her off her track completely.

She didn't even remember how it happened. Their kisses grew stronger as they weren't able to pull themselves away from each other and she found herself taking his hand and leading him inside the building and then inside her apartment.

When the door stood open and next he kicked it closed, he immediately pushed her against one of the walls in the hall, pressing his body against her, pinning her there, trapping and kissing again. They were clearly in a haze, not even knowing what was happening, they were just able to feel, to let themselves be consumed by desire they suddenly discovered was there. Or maybe she just did that since he must've sensed it before.

When their respective coats fell to the floor and his hands ran up her back to reach the zipper of her dress and hers actually rested on his belt, she stilled, finally waking up from all that haze, bringing herself back to reality.

She was just about to sleep with Harry. _Harry_. God, she could feel his entire body pressed against her own, his breath on her skin, the touch of his lips, not to mention the obvious hardness poking her in the stomach. If she could just slid her hand a little lower, she could touch him.

It was _Harry_. The doppelganger of her first boss, of the first person who'd ever betrayed her and just because of that fact, it hurt the most. Yet, he was so different from his look-alike that she couldn't seem to see Eobard in him, the difference always being clear to her. Another issue, though, was that he was so many years her senior and he actually had a grown-up daughter. How was this ever going to work when there were so many obvious obstacles and differences between them? Snow wasn't the one night stand kind of a girl. She _never_ was, therefore she'd never done it. This wasn't the case now either because there seemed to be _feelings_ involved. _Actual_ feelings she was still stunned to have discovered. Well, yes, she always looked for genetically perfect man, it was just who she was, it was just how she seemed to be wired after med school. But then, no one was actually perfect. Ronnie wasn't perfect. He always wanted to play the hero and despite him getting her to try all those new things like scuba diving or jumping with a parachute, in the end she wasn't actually sure she liked any of them. It just wasn't her. She'd rather stay in her lab. But she loved him, so she did it all for him. What did he do for _her_ exactly? Well, except dying to save her? Like _twice?_ Then it wasn't as though it would've worked with Hunter or Julian. In Snow's mind, Julian was actually the last lifeline she could see, so she clung to him without even thinking what she really _felt_ for him. She got closer to him because he could help her. In the end, it was Killer Frost who actually made it easier for her and told the guy she never really loved him. That was the one thing both she and Caitlin seemed to agree on. Somehow, Snow started wondering whether Killer Frost would approve of her choice right now. Something told her that maybe she would since she always said that Caitlin had terrible taste in men. Maybe she was right. Maybe it didn't mean that she'd rather date a bad boy or someone downward evil. Killer Frost herself wasn't evil anymore, so maybe…

"Are you ok?" Harry asked and she looked up into his eyes and her heart sunk when she saw his expression. "Snow, is this really what you want?" he still continued, ready to pull away from her and leave and never mention this again even for the cost of his own sanity. His voice was strained from desire, almost shaking with the most primal of needs and she couldn't help but think how long it had actually been for _him._ Maybe even longer than for her since she didn't peg him for a guy who would just randomly hook up with someone. He'd rather hang out in his lab alone. And then it hit her how much alike they truly were. How _perfect_ for each other despite the obvious differences.

In the end, it was the vulnerability she saw reflected in his usually hard eyes which somehow were soft now that undid her completely and made her want to cling to his body with no barriers between them, made her want to reach out and touch his soul and make him happy and whole again. She _wanted_ all of those things.

Without thinking anymore, she grabbed his face, pulled him closer and started kissing him with all her might, exhilarated by how good it felt, by how wonderful it was to be this close to a man again, to feel him whole, to touch him and make love to him.

In the end, she both _wanted_ and _needed_ him. He'd somehow always been there and now it hurt her physically and emotionally that she'd managed to overlook him and not recognized him for what he could actually become for her. Damn her and her unrealistic notions to always look for the perfect gene pool. No one was perfect. And genetically perfect didn't exactly mean a _good person_.

Ok, they didn't exactly make love as they rid of their clothes when still in the hall and he just entered her fast after she released him from the confine of his pants and stoke, enjoying the feel of him in her hands, the reactions she was getting. She just raised her leg and put it over his hip, enveloping him like that and he drove inside, both of them getting lost in the sensations, so desperate for this after such a long period of absence.

* * *

_Now_

"Caitlin, are you even listening?" Iris's voice finally woke Caitlin up from her reverie. They were all gathered up in the cortex – well, except Barry, of course – trying to figure out a strategy, a way for them to get Barry out of jail and what she was doing? Daydreaming about what happened the night before with _Harry_. She didn't even dare look at him now, his presence so persistent to her, though, that she couldn't seem to shake him. She wasn't even drunk the night before for God's sake! She thought, actually panicking now about what she'd done. Everything always looked different in the daylight, did it? Or maybe not? Maybe what she was really afraid of was the reaction she would get from her friends once she and Harry came clean.

"Yeah, yes… sorry…"

"Guys, I think that Ralph here can be the most helpful since Barry refused to tell everyone he's the Flash," Joe then interjected, pointing at the man in question who was half-lying on a desk with a cup of coffee in hand, nursing a terrible hangover.

"This is so not the right time, man," he had the audacity to complain. "I don't have my mojo… I…"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Cisco roared so loudly that Caitlin herself jumped.

"Auu!" Dibny reacted immediately. "My head, man!"

"You'll get over it! And guess what?! Barry's in jail! He's been freaking arrested when standing over an actual corpse! And the man Caitlin here invited to our Christmas party was actually DeVoe wearing a different meat suit!"

"It's not her fault," Harrison suddenly cut in, his voice simmering with annoyance. "She was just being…"

"What? _Nice_?! Inviting complete strangers for Christmas?! Just to what? Score a date?!"

"Guys! Guys!" Iris shushed them down. "None of us couldn't have known, ok?"

Caitlin suddenly felt awful and really wanted to disappear. She just wanted to help and they immediately thought she wanted to date that man who was now DeVoe. Well… she really chose them well, she had to admit Killer Frost was right. Then again, was she trying to date the guy? She just liked him and that was all. She actually ended up coming home with… She felt the blush returning and wanted to curse. There should be more important things on her mind right now than getting Harrison naked!

"Hey, I let you crush on my couch and brought you here this morning myself," Joes turned to miserable Dibny. "And now my son's in jail and I think you can help him. Didn't you and Barry work once on a case with seemingly tight evidence and Barry figured out the man might've been innocent?"

"And got _me_ convicted instead?" Ralph answered back.

"Well, you did tamper with evidence," Iris pointed out and Caitlin just brought her hand to her forehead, really having enough of this situation. "Ralph, I am begging you here. Please, help my husband. We've just got married. You're a part of the team now."

"Did I actually say I wouldn't help him? No. I didn't. I was just asking for little compassion here since I'm so hungover…"

"I told you, you shouldn't be drinking so much," Iris interjected again and Snow was just sick of it all.

"I'll… I'll bring you some concoction for that hangover. Maybe it'll help," she offered immediately and left the room before anyone managed to answer. She did hear Dibny saying something to her in gratitude, but didn't catch what it was exactly.

Yet, before she managed to reach her lab, there was suddenly a hand on her arm and it pulled her around a corner and before she knew it, Harry was kissing her.

It surprised her so much that she stilled, so he eventually pulled away in confusion. She was looking at his creased face, thinking how much older he actually was, how he had a grown up daughter and… actually liking the way he looked. He was so damn hot, she suddenly realized, taking a closer look at him in the light of the day.

His face immediately darkened and she hated the broken look she saw there, probably caused by her as he read her reaction wrong.

"So, that's just it for you?" he asked, his voice strangely detached and he moved away as to keep some distance from her. "I didn't peg you for a one night stander," his tone grew bitter, but she didn't hold it against him. She knew he was just trying to hide his own disappointment and hurt.

"Because I'm not," she denied quickly and made a step forward. "Harry, I… last night kind of sneaked up on me," she tried to explain as best as she could, "but… but I really enjoyed it."

"So, this doesn't bother you?" he pointed himself and then her.

"It does, but in a good way," she tried to be seductive.

"Snow, really, give me a break here. If last night was a mistake… I'm sorry, ok?" he suddenly apologized when scratching his head. "I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place or pushed you into doing… anything."

"That's the thing! You didn't! I wanted to!"

"It destroyed our friendship and the working agreement that we have here with the whole team and… wait, what?" he suddenly broke off as though her words just now registered in his brain.

"It's just new to me. It's like… I suddenly see the world in different colors. Like I've discovered something that was always there, but I just couldn't see it," she tried to explain as best as she could. "And I wish we could explore whatever this is further, but…" she shook her head, "Barry's in trouble and as much as I hate this, _this_ ," she pointed herself and then him, "would have to wait."

"Wait, so you don't regret it?" he asked again, stunned as though he had trouble with hearing, which she felt the temptation to point out, but then she decided against it since he might take it as an allusion to his age.

"Not even a little. It's just all new to me. I still have to get used to this... perspective."

"Oh, right, because I'm not the usual type you go for."

"That's the problem, you _are_ exactly my type," she confessed, leaving him speechless and confused. "We are very alike, Harry and I just now begin to see that," she went on, nervously wriggling her fingers. "At least in character. In things that actually _matter_."

"Well, ok, that's good, I guess," he hesitated and she just loved the still confused, but in the same time slightly happy look on his face. He didn't let himself smile just yet, though, still afraid of being rejected. "So, aren't you bothered by…?" he made a nervous circling gesture directed at himself.

"What? Age? Nope. You are handsome… and hot… very much so, actually."

"Well, I know…" he answered in the same exact tone of voice that she heard him once when replying to that exact question of HR and it brought a smile to her face. A smile she couldn't fight. She was actually feeling quite happy and exhilarated.

"Cocky much?" she just asked him and he smiled brightly at that.

"You would know, wouldn't you?" he asked in the deepest of his voices and it sounded so sexy and husky that she shuddered, just wanting to grab him and…

"Oh, my God!" they were reaching for each other just when they heard Cisco's scream and they stilled. Once they looked at the guy, he had his hands put over his eyes. "Oh, my God, this is worse than seeing his freaking junk and having it burnt straight into my brain!" the guy complained and Caitlin frowned. "Now all I see is his junk and your…" he said to Caitlin and Harrison immediately bristled.

" _Ramon,_ " he warned the younger guy in the most menacing of voices he could muster.

" _That's_ what the two of you were doing last night?!" Cisco asked, completely ignoring Harry.

"When exactly did Cisco see your _junk_?!" was all Caitlin wanted to know.

"Are you guys having a threesome?" they heard Ralph coming out from the cortex. "What?" he asked when they all glared at him. "What? I just came over here to see what's taking so long. My head's killing me, guys! But I could totally join…"

"I think he's got better," Harrison decided that very moment, "so can I hit him so it would start to hurt all over again."

"You hear no objections from me," Cisco agreed, folding his arms on his chest. "Now, try erasing _that_ from my poor head!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing. Also, I’m not sure whether I should change rating to explicit. I didn’t write the sex scene in that many details, did I?  
> Any idea how to exonerate Barry?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted a new snowells story. Check it out – it's called Wasteland and it has a post apocalyptic vibe!

Soon enough they were all back in the cortex, still trying to find a way to help Barry. Iris just returned from seeing him and was pretty shaken up.

"We have to help him! I can't let him stay there! I mean…" she clearly started to panic, "all he thinks about when in there are all those years his father spent in prison! And now _Barry, too_?!"

"Iris, calm down," Caitlin was the one to walk over to the woman and place her hands on her shoulders. "Hey, look at me. We'll get Barry out of it. We all _will,_ ok?"

"Caitlin, you haven't seen him in there... it's so horrible and… we just got married! I already lost him once and now it's happening _again_? When will it finally stop? Will we ever have a normal life?!" At this point Caitlin truly didn't know how to help her friend anymore. What was worse, she actually understood Iris since she herself had been in a similar position and worse even as she'd lost the man she loved _twice_.

"Iris, we'll figure this out, I promise." Joe took his daughter into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. "In worst case scenario you can always run," he tried comforting her this way.

"If I heard correctly, this is the last thing Allen wants," Harrison spoke, just standing in the far corner of the room with his arms folded on his chest. "He doesn't want to run. This is his home and getting away is letting DeVoe win and leaving this city to his mercy!"

"Then what you suggest we do?!" Iris screamed, clearly out of control. "I asked him again to reveal his identity and he doesn't want to do that either!"

Joe just got a call, so he stepped aside for a moment. When he came back, there was some new energy coiling up in him. "Guys, Mrs. DeVoe's MIA," he informed. "They can't find her."

"She's probably on her merry way to Hawaii with the new, improved version of her husband," Catlin murmured under her breath and Wells just frowned at that.

"I'm sorry, I thought being in love meant accepting the person for who they are," he just had to cut in, somehow feeling offended and Caitlin could only shoot him an incredulous look.

"What are you talking about?" she wanted to know.

"Don't tell me you don't see a connection here! DeVoe's wife's years younger than he is… or _was_ , for that matter since this new _improved_ body!"

"Oh, my God! Can we just _not_ do this?!" Cisco raised his voice. "Guys, I get that new relationship of yours or whatever the heck it is, but I really do not want to know the details. Besides, this isn't the time to feel insecure about you _age, Harry_!"

There was silence as all gathered just stared at Wells.

"Ok, now I'm even more confused," Joe admitted. "All I wanted to say is that yes, they think Barry somehow kidnapped Mrs. DeVoe and might've murdered her, too, but they don't have the body, so let's just get to her first and prove that she's a conniving bitch."

"Who maybe killed her husband because she was getting tired of him and his old age?" Iris guessed, still not understanding were all of this was going.

"No!" Caitlin raised her voice, rendering everyone silent again. Then she just sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I do not care about your age, Harrison," she turned to him. "Is that clear enough for you? And can we just now, please, come back to the point?"

"You're together?" Joe asked in shock. "Okeeyyy… But why are we talking about this _now_ when my son is actually in _jail_?!"

Iris could just stand there and stare at Caitlin until she started to stare at Harrison for a change, temporality forgetting about her husband. "Well, ok," she said with a nod after a moment, "good for you. And as I think of it some more, you two are actually an excellent match. So now that you all have the approval that you so obviously needed, maybe we could figure out how to find Marlize DeVoe?"

Harrison only sighed and shot Cisco a murdering look before answering, "If that's our only lead…"

"What's so wrong about this plan?" Iris wanted to know.

"The fact that DeVoe can now read minds, maybe?" Wells suggested with a shrug. "He'll see us coming a mile away!"

"Oh, crap!" Cisco shouted when getting to his computer. "We got a metahuman on the loose, guys."

"Need help?" Caitlin asked, tried of this whole situation, Harrison's sudden insecurity about his age and above all, of Barry once again getting in the way of her happily ever after. If she would ever actually manage to grab hers, that was. She knew she shouldn't be angry with him when he was in so much worse position than she ever was even when being wanted once for what Killer Frost had done, but she just couldn't help it. Maybe it was the Frost part in her that caused her to have all those angry feelings because somehow she, Caitlin Snow, never felt that way deep down in her core. _And whose fault was that?_ A nasty voice in her head asked and she knew that the transformation was close.

"Snow…" Harry chose that moment to go over to her, seeing that there was something wrong, but she just shook her head and…

"Caity's not here," Killer Frost answered him when turning to him, her hair white, eyes shining, voice changed. Then she eyed him up and down and he was shocked when she nodded with appreciation, "Finally! She found herself an actual _man_. Too bad my kiss would actually kill you," she added with a smile that sent a chill down his back. "I could totally hit _that_." She winked at him and then finally turned to stunned Cisco. "Ready?"

"My poor brain…" the guy complained before opening a breech.

* * *

The day grew rather busy and despite the three members of the team having powers, they really missed Barry on the field. Well, maybe except Killer Frost. For the most part, Caitlin was dormant, sleeping inside the Frost's brain, being awakened from time to time and even beginning to struggle to push forward, to take control, but in the end she just became angrier and let her alter ego took over. The truth was that she felt cheated. She'd felt that way ever since her powers had manifested and she'd never really gotten rid of that feeling. It didn't seem to matter that somehow she'd become a superhero, fighting crime alongside her friends. Honestly, she'd never felt left out before. She'd never felt like she was worthless before because she really wasn't. She was her own personal kind of hero, feeling amazing when able to treat wounds and set bones and tend to her patients in S.T.A.R Labs. And there were always some injuries to take care of. Added to that, with her wit and intelligence, she got to help in the lab too, preparing chemical concoctions or bringing biochemistry to the table when Cisco or Harry couldn't figure something out just by implementing physics. Caitlin completed the team and she was happy about that. She was happy to stay in, fight the crime from aside by helping her friends. And now on top of it all, she suddenly had powers and wasn't really sure what to do anymore, whether to allow herself turn into Killer Frost and kick ass or stay behind and do what she always did best. So many possibilities, so many choices and none that she'd actually liked anymore because staying in her lab all the time, having no life when being thirty years old also wasn't something that she wanted anymore. She wanted a family. She wanted kids. She wanted all the simple, yet so wonderful things that life had to offer. How was she supposed to have any of it when her problems just kept on piling up? And now, that she finally seemed to be on the right track when it came to men and dating, Killer Frost was already ruining that, too.

At the end of the day, Caitlin finally grew strong enough to fight Frost and she came back to her old normal self. Except that nothing about it was normal since she wasn't even _alone_ in her body anymore.

Harry, seeing that change and being relieved about it, went over to her just when she was putting her jacket on.

"Snow…"

"Oh," she said when she stopped right in front of him with the clear intention to leave. "I was just… Harry, listen, I'm really sorry, but there's something I need to do first. Are you ok with that? Can we maybe meet up later when I'm done?"

He seemed defeated to her somehow, but in the end he just nodded and let her go. She really wished she could've stayed and assured him that nothing was wrong and she was still willing to try make this – whatever this was – work, but she didn't have time. She still had one more thing to do.

* * *

"Hi, Barry," said Caitlin while having sat herself in the chair and grabing the receiver to talk to her friend through the glass.

"Caitlin." He seemed positively surprised that she came to visit him and she had to admit that her heart broke a little at the sight of him in that orange jumpsuit. He looked so much like a younger version of his father. She knew that no matter the issues she had with him, she wouldn't want to see him rot in jail for life.

"How are you holding up?" she asked just to start the conversation and wondering how on earth she would ever be able to tell him what she really came here to say.

"Holding on there. I knew I could've run, but…" He just shook his head and looked so, so tired when doing so. "There was not enough time to take the body out of there and clean, not even for me," he then explained, "and I really didn't want to be a fugitive. That would only put me in even bigger trouble and Iris…" He sighed. "I don't know what to do, Cait."

"It'll be ok, Barry. You know we won't abandon you. We won't rest till we solve this thing and you'll be free."

"How's Iris?" he wanted to know. "Is she hanging on there?"

"Joe's with her, so I guess she'll be fine." Caitlin really didn't want to lie to him, so she settled for that. "Barry… I… Um… There's something I need to talk to you about and I realize that this is the worst place and time for that kind of a conversation, but I can't hold it in any longer. I'm sorry," she finally confessed.

He looked her in the eye in surprise. "What is it, Cait? Is everything all right?"

"Well, no, actually. It's… How do I put this… I…" She bit on her lip. "Ok, I'll just say it and go from there, I guess… I slept with Harry."

For a moment, there was silence as Barry was processing those words, completely stupefied.

"Say that again," he asked then.

"You heard me." She really did not want to repeat those words. "And after it happened… well, it got me thinking and… I think he might be the one for me. I mean, we're…"

"… perfect for each other?" Barry finished and this time Caitlin was the one left speechless. "Yeah, when I think about it, it actually makes sense. It's good, Caitlin. I'm happy for you. I only want what's best for you and Harry is someone we can trust, someone we all grew to love and he's actually a very good match for you."

"Well, thank you, Barry, but still, that's not why I'm here."

"Then what is it?"

"Killer Frost," she got it out fast, avoiding his eyes. "I mean… she's been ruining my life from the moment I found out about her existence and I didn't even have powers back then…"

"Cait, what are you trying to say?" Barry asked carefully.

"Oh, Barry… I know this is the worst moment for this, but I can't… I just can't fight this anymore and I need to say this because if I don't, I will get angry when trying to suppress those feelings and she'll resurface _again_. And I don't want to do that to Harry. He's already been through so much in his life and I don't want him to have to deal with two people living in the body of the woman he's with."

"Caitlin, if I knew that my meddling with the timeline would cause you to get powers… and… if I knew that Dante…"

"I know," she interrupted him quickly, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Don't think I don't know that, Barry. I just… I can't help being so angry with you. You were selfish and you wrecked our lives."

"I heard something like this coming from _her_ once, remember?"

"Actually, that was still me."

"Oh."

"Barry, I know that we can't take this back. That _you_ can't take this back or else you'd risk making things even worse and if Savitar wasn't that…" She shook her head and looked him in the eye. The guilt she saw there was killing her and that was when she realized that he hadn't forgotten at all. He might've been acting all cool and carefree ever since coming back from the speed force, but he hadn't forgotten about what he'd done. The guilt was still eating him up. "I just… I guess it just hurt me that you focused all your efforts on saving Iris's life and you never stopped to think about mine even for a second," she finally confessed, again avoiding his eyes.

"Oh, Caitlin…"

"Maybe you did. Maybe you didn't. I don't know. I just… it's just how I feel and I needed to say this, so I'd stop being afraid that by doing so, I will destroy our friendship."

"I will _always_ be your friend no matter what," Barry assured her with tears in his eyes and he placed his hand on the glass, desperate to touch her and comfort her but not able to. She met that hand with her own even though all she could feel was the cold glass. "I will never forgive myself that I got so consumed with trying to save Iris alone that I overlooked what was happening to you and then it was just too late. I'm sorry for that. I thought you knew."

"No, no, I didn't, but thanks for telling me. It makes me feel better." She was crying for real now.

"I wish things could've been different. I wish I'd stopped you and been there for you before you went to see Savitar."

"Well, then I should apologize for _that_ ," she suddenly realized.

"No, you shouldn't," he assured her again when shaking his head. "Because I know why you did it. I know I failed you. I also promise you that once I get out of here, I will do anything in my power to make your life better. I will help however I can with Killer Frost so you and Harry could be happy, so you could get the life you both deserve."

"Thank you, Barry. It really means a lot and… sorry for bringing it all up here."

"Well, hey… we never had the time for an honest talk, so maybe it took me being locked up to find it," he tried joking and she actually smiled there for a moment.

"You will be a free man again, Barry, I promise you."

He nodded. "I truly hope so."

"Visiting's over!" they heard from the guard and realized they were the only ones still having a meeting there. Sadly, Caitlin had to say her goodbye, but by the time she left the prison walls, she felt lighter somehow as though a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. Maybe now Frosty wouldn't be making so many unwelcomed appearances.

* * *

It was very late when Caitlin finally came back to S.T.A.R. Labs, maybe even _too_ late as she'd taken a slow walk after her talk with Barry. She needed the clear air and the dark of the night to just be alone with herself, to clear her head, maybe to truly breathe for the first time since she'd gotten powers.

There was actually a smile on her face when she entered the cortex, a smile which disappeared immediately when she heard Cisco, "You know what, Cait? Yeah, I like to piss Harry off… no, that's wrong, I actually _love_ to! That's my only entertainment in this place… well, besides naming metas, but that's not the point! Despite all that bickering and pissing him off, I actually like the guy and I consider him one of my best friends, so I do care about him, ok? … Just don't tell him that!"

"Um… Cisco, what are you…?" Caitlin started in confusion.

"You're breaking his heart!" Cisco yelled at her then. "The poor guy's been waiting here for you for _hours_ before he finally gave up and disappeared in his room and he didn't even react to me picking on him! I mean, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Caitlin's eyes opened widely and she could just stare at her friend before she actually burst out laughing.

"Hey, that ain't funny! … Ok, what's so freaking funny?!" Ramon wanted to know.

"I love how you care about Harry, you know?" she just said when coming over to him and patting his shoulder. "And I do not intend to break his heart. I needed to talk to Barry about something regarding my life and being Killer Frost. I couldn't move on without cleaning the air and now I am just ready to find Harry and make things right, if you must know."

"Oh… well… good, because next I was gonna yell at your about how you broke Julian's heart and I won't have Harry quitting the team like he did!"

"I'll pass the news on to him. I'm sure he'll be _thrilled_ about how much you actually _care_ , Cisco," Caitlin kept on joking and then she directed herself towards the guests rooms they had in the Labs.

"Hey! Don't you dare!"

She didn't answer, now just too eager to get to Harry. She took it all lightly from Cisco and joked with him, but deep down inside she was concerned. Was she gone _that_ long? How could she just keep him hanging if he was so insecure about their relationship? Right now she just wanted to be with him above all and she would get to him immediately and explain herself.

She knocked on his door, but there was no answer. Finally, she knocked again and yelled, "Harry, are you there?! We need to talk."

She truly thought he'd gone somewhere, but eventually the door opened and she saw his face. It was completely rid of any emotions and something twisted in her stomach at the sight.

"Give me one example when that kind of a start led to something good," he said grumpily and she frowned.

"Well, how about this one right here?" she asked then. "Harry, I'm sorry I've been gone for so long…"

"Well, technically you've been gone the whole freaking day since your villainous alter ego took control of your body, but then when you were actually _you_ , you split."

"Ok, I deserved that. But once I explain everything to you, I think you will understand. Please, just let me in."

He sighed before reluctantly agreeing, "Fine. Get it over with."

Was he really looking for a fight? She wondered when walking into his room and finding it oddly 'un-homely'. The barren walls, a single and probably uncomfortable bed and one small closer made for somewhat depressing sight and she suddenly wanted to just take him to her own apartment.

"I'm sorry I disappeared on you like that," she began, having really nowhere to sit but the bed, so she'd rather stand. The bed brought some pretty hot memories to her mind and she couldn't be distracted. Which was difficult when looking into his eyes. Were they always this beautiful? She thought.

"So you said." He folded his arms on his chest as though he was protecting himself.

"I needed to go see Barry."

"And that couldn't wait till morning?"

"No, because somehow I was unable to move on when still holding on to a grudge. Harry, you know Barry is one of my best friends and I would die for him, but… in the same time I was so angry with him for ever going back in time and giving me those powers, for giving up on me when choosing to focus only on Iris. I know she was going to die, but… so was I. I actually _died_. I flatlined, Harry," she confessed and finally saw a reaction. His body shook a little, something in his expression twitching as though he couldn't even stand the very thought of it.

"I know," he finally admitted in a quiet voice.

"If Julian hadn't taken my necklace off, I would've been dead."

"I know," his voice somehow grew even thicker.

"And I never wanted him to."

"I know that, too. Snow, what are you trying to say?"

"I never asked for any of this. All I ever asked for was being a scientist, a doctor, a... wife, a mother. I never wanted powers. And I so did not want to end up with someone, _something_ else living in this body with me. It's like I died and a demon brought me back and it can't let go of me. I just can't get rid of it!"

"Stop talking about death!" Harry finally raised his voice and it rendered Snow speechless. "I'm sorry," he apologized immediately. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, I just… I can't imagine a world without you in it, so please, just stop telling me how you actually _died._ I'd be lying if I said that I don't wonder whether your feelings for me are actually _your_ feelings, whether this isn't some influence of _her_ over you, but… Caitlin, I do not care if you want me or not, I just can't stand the thought of you _dying_."

"Wait… so you're not really worried about being older than I am? What you really worry about is that it's not _me_ who feels for you, but _her…_?" Caitlin couldn't even believe what was she hearing.

"Well, yeah," he admitted awkwardly, avoiding her eyes. "I complain about a lot of things, but I don't do that because they really bother me. I just…"

"Pick on people, like to annoy them, yeah, I get that."

"The age gap between us never really bothered me since I'm not the one who has to put up with an older partner."

"That doesn't bother me either. It seemed… strange at first, I admit, but in a good way. It was like finally seeing something so obvious, something so perfect when I couldn't notice it before."

"See? That might be Killer Frost! After all, you said so yourself, she always says your taste in men is terrible and she actually _approved_ of this one!" He pointed himself.

Caitlin truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Oh, Harry," she finally went with when coming closer and taking his hands into hers, then she looked up into his blue eyes. "She has no control over me. At least not like that. I am still the same old Caitlin and I can assure you, my feelings for you have nothing to do with Killer Frost. I _have_ them. _Me_."

"Really?" he seemed taken aback and actually a little bit ashamed that she managed to diminish all his fears just like that.

"Of course I am. She's not here right now. She just takes over sometimes, but while she does, I… it's like I'm sleeping, not aware of her at all."

"Well, in that case…" he started, but he didn't finish because she grabbed his face and pulled it towards herself, kissing his lips slowly, gently, lovingly. There was no rush. This time they were just kissing and enjoying it.

"We are not doing it here," Caitlin pushed Harry away when things got heated up and she actually felt his hand under her shirt.

"Hmm?" he just uttered, too lost in the sensations.

She laughed, but was persistent nevertheless.

"This bed is very uncomfortable and way too small. You're going home with me."

"You'll hear no objections about that," he actually approved. "In fact, I'm surprised no one so far has offered me at least their couch. You all have a home to get to whereas I have to…"

Caitlin rolled her eyes at that. "Pick up all your stuff," she decided, wondering whether she'd soon start to regret it. Inviting Harry to actually live with her seemed like going way too fast, but what she could do, really? The guy was really in need…

"Say no more!"


	4. Chapter 4

It must've been the saddest New Year's Eve in the history of S.T.A.R. Labs.

Or maybe not, Caitlin decided when thinking of the time before Christmas when the particle accelerator had exploded and everything had gone to hell. She hadn't been thinking about that event for quite some time now, so she just now wondered how different her life would've been if Eobard Thawne had never impersonated the original Harrison Wells. She would've probably been already married with kids to Ronnie. She would've been happy or _happier_? She hesitated. She didn't really know and couldn't even tell as her love for Ronnie seemed to be just a distant memory. Her heart was occupied by someone else now and it was truly hard to picture herself not having feelings for Harry, the Harrison Wells's version from Earth Two. It happened so fast. She'd discovered them literally days before and now as she thought of it, she couldn't imagine not wanting this man. She couldn't even see any other man in her future but him and it both exhilarated and terrified her. She was happy because not so long ago she'd been pretty sure that with her track record, she would never meet a decent guy again and if it'd been hard before she became Killer Frost and her only worry was the fact that she would always have to lie to said man about working with the Flash and knowing his identity, now it was even harder since she had to hide her own. That was probably why she searched for a potential man in the close circle of people she interacted with every day, even despite her not wanting a hero. She'd done that once and it'd ended with her being left alone by the same man _twice_. She was not going to do it again.

Harry was perfect for her, she realized and despite the gruesome circumstances of Barry still being in jail and Iris freaking out, not to mention Joe; Caitlin smiled. She smiled because for once, for a chance, _she_ was the one who was so close to her happy ending. Harrison was a man who might not seem like it from the outside, but once a person got to know him, they saw how fiercely he could love and how he never gave up on those close to him. He didn't want to play a hero, he just did what was necessary to save those he loved and that was a huge difference to Caitlin since he didn't go out every night and risk his life when fighting crime in the city. He just stayed in, contributing by putting his mind and wit to a good use – well, humor, too as he loved to tease Cisco and vice versa and even though Caitlin would never admit it to Cisco, she loved to listen to those two banter. Harry's love for the whole team, his attitude and his passion was what captivated her the most. He was smart and faithful and as she thought of it more, he was actually the perfect man even if a little rough on the edges, but men were supposed to be like that, weren't they? At least Caitlin liked them that way. So, yes, maybe her life would've been different, but the fact was that _it really wasn't_ and _couldn't be_ and she was all right with that. Despite all the obstacles and all the pain, she was finally seeing light in the dark and it made her happy. Also, maybe after all she'd been through, she would be able to appreciate what she had more, to love more and to be more present in the life of the person she loved. It wasn't all about her career anymore, she realized, remembering how Ronnie had been the one to pick up on her and he'd done it with great difficulties since she'd refused to date him, putting her career first. Eventually, he'd woken something up inside of her and by being so persistent actually caused her to like him. The rest was history. What was important was that now no one had to do any awakening when it came to her. She'd already lost everything once, including the worst – herself. And she was still standing. She survived. She would not waste another chance, because it was truly a blessing.

"What are you smiling about?" she heard Iris's voice and nearly jumped in her seat, then rid of the smile immediately.

"I'm sorry, I was just…" Caitlin started quickly, reminding herself of Barry's predicament.

"Caitlin, it's ok, really," Iris assured quickly when pulling up a chair and sitting next to her friend. "I don't expect you all to just stop living your lives just because Barry's been wrongly accused of killing DeVoe."

"But it feels… wrong somehow, you know?" Snow felt the need to say it anyway. "It feels wrong to be happy when…"

"Well, that's life. Besides, Barry and my worries aside, I couldn't be happier for _you_ , Caitlin. Honestly."

Snow finally smiled brightly on hearing that, not able to hide her excitement any longer. Still, there were also tears in her eyes.

"I wish that for once, everything was just all right with everyone, you know?" she voiced what was on her mind.

Iris shrugged. "Well, yeah. I won't pretend that today sucks most of all as it's our first New Year's Eve as a couple and I'm gonna spend it visiting my husband in jail when I won't even be able to touch him, but… I have faith. I really do have faith that we will get him out of it. I won't stop till we do."

"Neither of us will," Caitlin assured the other woman when briefly touching her hand. "Did Barry… tell you that I went to see him?" she then asked carefully, really wanting to know, but in the same time hesitant about it because what if he told his wife _everything_?

"Well, yeah, he did," Iris admitted with a nod, "and I don't blame you, Caitlin. Listen…" she suddenly added and then stopped as though she wasn't sure how to put what she was about to say. "I'm not blind, ok?" Caitlin's eyes widened when she heard that and she looked at Iris in curiosity. "I know that Barry chose me over and over again and above everyone else, including his own friends who's always been there for him. And I know that he was wrong."

"Iris…"

"No, it's ok. Let me say this. I mean that he shouldn't have always put me first."

"But he loves you. It's only natural to…"

"It is natural to follow our feelings, but it's not always right. It's something that Harry taught me, actually."

"Ok, my feelings for this man aside, it was so wrong of him to…" Caitlin started, finally having realized the flaw of her boyfriend – could she even call him that? It seem too immature a word for him somehow – he was _mean_. Like most of the times. Or he just said what he thought. He never was that way towards her, though.

"He was right, Caitlin and I needed to hear that. And it was the right call. If I hadn't chosen you over Barry, you would've probably been dead right now and he would've gotten out of DeVoe's trap anyway."

"Maybe then he wouldn't have been accused…"

"No, he still would," Iris argued. "Although, you know, now as I think of it… maybe Harry did have an ulterior motive," she suddenly teased Caitlin with a smile. "Man, he's a good actor! I couldn't even tell he was falling apart on the inside just because you were gone."

"Well, he probably wasn't."

"Yeah, right! Caitlin, do I have to remind you how long he was hiding the fact that he had a daughter who was kidnapped back when we met him? Trust me, he's a brilliant actor."

Thanks to Iris, Caitlin might've just realized something.

"Do you think…?" she asked and then stopped immediately with a gasp.

"What is it, Caitlin?"

"Do you think he might've had feelings for me for even longer than we all thought? That he just hid them well? And I was so blind?! I mean with… Zoom…" she had difficulties even saying that aloud. How could she be so stupid anyway?! "And then Julian…"

"He wasn't around when Julian was here."

"Well, maybe it was too painful for him to be," Caitlin sucked in a breath, remembering how Harry had had trouble accepting his replacement, HR and then when said man asked Caitlin whether she was single… She remembered the _don't_ he'd said in such a disappointed and squeaky voice. A voice that didn't even seem to belong to him. "Oh, my God, that's totally true!"

"Hey, don't you worry," Iris tried to calm Caitlin down. "It's not on you. How were you supposed to know that if he never said anything?"

"Still, I feel… I don't know… not exactly guilty, but… it feels wrong that he's always been there and I never truly noticed him until now."

"Well, you did have a lot on your plate. The both of you did," Iris said. "And maybe _now_ it's the right time for the both of you to start something here. I mean, look at me, I've known Barry almost all my life and I never realized how great we could be together until just two years ago. And I did almost marry Eddie," she then added, a wistful tone appearing in her voice. "If he hadn't died… It's difficult for me to admit, because he's dead and saying this aloud makes me feel like a bad person, but… it never would've worked out with him. Not really. I know it now once I'm finally with the right person. The person I'm supposed to be with."

Caitlin only nodded. Hers and Iris's lives were, indeed, surprisingly similar. And when Iris had actually asked her once whether she believed in destiny, she answered – _maybe for you_. What if now she also believed that she, too, had one?

"Thank you, Iris. All you said just now really means a lot to me."

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"And now I really feel like maybe I should do more today…" Caitlin was immediately reminded about Barry.

"No. Not today. Ralph, the one person who's supposedly working the hardest on this case, mysteriously disappeared. I bet he's out, celebrating the New Year with some floozy, so you just take Harry and skedaddle, ok?" Iris told Caitlin.

"Iris…"

"It's fine. I have to go see Barry anyway."

"Tell him we won't forget. Tell him we'll get him out of there," Caitlin made her promise.

"You got it."

"And above all, thank you, Iris, for being such a good friend."

"Right back at you, Cait."

* * *

The moment Caitlin entered the cortex, looking for Harry, he was actually the one who found her, walking straight to her and taking her hand.

"Let's get out of here," he just said and she looked at him in surprise. "So, ok, I know we can't go anywhere fancy as my face is still… well, of a murderer and one whose body was never found, but… we can still spend this night together and actually be happy, what do you say, Snow?"

Her face was illuminated with a smile when she heard that since that was exactly why she was looking for him. She didn't want to waste any more time. She wanted to spend every free second she had with him, but was too afraid to actually say it aloud since technically they had been dating for just a week, even though it felt like they were always meant to.

"I was thinking the very same thing. But we do have to do something about that face thing," she then added and he frowned.

"I know I have quite a few wrinkles, but is it really that bad?" he turned it into a joke.

"Nice try, old man. I meant that if you're serious about staying on this earth and actually having a life here, then we need to figure something out."

"Why don't you just grab this and we can call it a belated Christmas present?" Cisco cut in when throwing something at Harry. The man barely caught it.

" _Ramon_ ," he started immediately in a warning tone, clearly angry that the younger guy was listening on, "don't _you_ have a date to get to?"

"Actually, I do, but I thought I could help a friend out. You can go out in public now. No need for a thank you. It's not like I expect it or anything."

Harry finally examined the device in his hand.

"It's HR's," Caitlin explained. "He was using this to conceal his face."

"So now I'm gonna look like… some old gigolo?" Harry asked, flabbergasted when he used the device and then looked in the mirror.

There was an outburst of laughter from behind them, obviously coming from Cisco.

"Good one!" the guy approved.

"Well, technically, the people closest to you, meaning us, would still be able to seeyou. You just use this setting right here…" Caitlin tried prying the device out of Harry's hand.

"I don't want to hide for the rest of my life!" he kept on complaining.

"Dude, you can have any face you want!" Cisco told him when coming closer.

"Well, maybe I'm not the best looking man in the world, but at least this is _my_ face!" Harry wouldn't let it go.

"I would argue with that," Snow cut in.

"With what again?"

"You _are_ a very good looking man. In fact…"

"Oh, no!" Cisco quickly interrupted when pointing a finger at her. "If you already start with _that,_ then I suggest you get out of my sight before I get nauseous. Mean Harry, ok, I am used to this but if you turn this guy into a sappy Harry," he warned Caitlin, "we're done here. You're not my friend anymore, Brutus."

In response, Caitlin just started to laugh.

* * *

The fireworks erupted in the distance, but they were more occupied with the ones happening inside their bodies as they were lying in Caitlin's bed, engaged in far more pleasurable activities than welcoming the New Year. And it would be a better one, Caitlin decided when coming down from her high, still being held in Harrison's arms as he refused to let go of her and she quite enjoyed him being this clingy. She wanted him as close as possible and as often as possible since she still felt like they'd wasted an awful amount of time. Having come, too, right after her as though he couldn't possibly hold on any longer because she had such an effect on him – which she loved, by the way – he was still very much inside of her, his face in the crook of her neck, his body over her own, his arms around her and she was just holding on to him, not letting him go, enjoying the moment and thanking God for another chance at love.

 _Love_. It was way too fast to think _that_ , she quickly brought herself down to the ground. Although she _had_ known him for three years now, so maybe it wasn't that far-fetched. Maybe Iris was right. Sometimes – or maybe most of the times – people didn't see what was right in front of them.

"We should really watch the fireworks," Harry finally said and heaved himself up with a sigh.

"Don't you have them on your earth, too?" Caitlin asked, following him to the window after wrapping a sheet around herself. He might be comfortable enough to be standing there completely naked, but she wasn't. She kind of wondered what her neighbors would think if they looked now.

"Oh, we do. And much better ones than _this_ , if you ask me," he said when putting his arms around her from behind and pressing his body into hers. She was quite happy that he didn't seem to want to let go of her just yet.

"I didn't ask," she immediately told him.

"You should see them one day. They're beautiful. In fact, Jesse liked New Year's Eve better than Christmas just because of them. She used to wait around the window all evening just to catch every single shape appearing in the sky at midnight. There were dragons and puppies and flowers and all kinds of animals dancing, lit up for quite some time, you know. Eventually the whole sky seemed covered with them."

"Ok, that actually does sound much better. I wonder why we don't have that here," Caitlin admitted, leaning into him and covering his hands that rested on her stomach with her own. "You should take me to your earth in a year. I want to see it," she then decided.

" _That_ , miss Snow, sounded like a declaration," he said straight into her ear when using the huskiest of his voices and she shivered again. God, what was this man doing to her? They'd just had sex and she wanted him _again_ like _now_.

"Well, do you have a problem with that?" she asked when finally tearing her eyes away from the window and turning to face him, putting her arms around his neck. This view was much better than the fireworks anyway.

"No, not at all. In fact, I like that idea very much," he assured her and then leaned forward to kiss her.

"We do have to figure out a way for you to live here, though," Caitlin said when breaking the kiss and he complained that he lost the touch of her lips. "It's either that or me moving to your earth."

"There's plenty of time to figure everything out, Snow," he disregarded her worries. "Now, let's just _live_." He was kissing her again and somehow the sheet she was wrapped in was gone and she didn't even care anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any idea how to make Harry able to go out in public without wearing the ridiculous ball cap? Already used the one with him being a long-lost Wells's twin in my Ice on Fire story :P so I really do not want to repeat myself.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin felt as though history was repeating itself since she was, yet, once again woken up by a phone call.

When she finally groggily opened her eyes, she discovered she was in bed with Harrison – also just like the other morning. The only difference now was that she actually knew what she was doing and wasn't second guessing her behavior. They were really doing this. They were really trying to make it work together and boy, was that the right decision! In fact, it seemed like the only decision she could ever make.

Her phone stopped ringing and then for a change, Harry's started.

"I swear I'll toss that damned thing out the window," he grumbled, feeling way too comfortable when lying with his arms wrapped around Caitlin, her body pressed against his own, giving him a certain morning call. A call that now would probably have to wait. And _that_ after all the things they'd done during the night. He didn't know what the woman was doing to him, truly. With her he didn't even feel his age. It was as though he was suddenly younger and more vibrant than ever.

"Well, Cisco did give you this cell to get in contact with you if needed," Caitlin finally spoke when shifting to her back and he lost the hold on her. The spell was broken anyway, she thought. She couldn't just get back to enjoying herself with Harry now that she knew someone was trying to get in touch with the both of them.

"Fine. I'll answer," she heard him say and then he reached to the bedside table for said phone, albeit reluctantly. And then, after a moment, she heard, "Wait, say that again. Really? Ok. We'll be right there."

"Argh!" Caitlin complained when rubbing her still sleepy eyes. "What can be so important the first day of a new year?!"

"Barry released from jail?" Harry provided and that did it. She was wide awake now.

" _How_?" she just asked.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Iris started when they were all gathered up in the cortex again, but this time for a much pleasant talk, "so instead of spending the New Year's Eve with some bimbo like we all thought you were doing, you actually went to _Hawaii_ to find Mrs. DeVoe?" she asked Ralph, still shocked with the fact. Barry was currently attached to her arm with no intention of letting his wife go ever again.

"Sure I did. What did you think? That after all of you took me under your wings, that I would just bail and let my boy here rot in jail? I mean, I have to make up for the things I've done _sometime_ , so why not now?"

They were all just looking at Dibny in awe. Well, except Harry who was just suspicious, still searching for a hidden angle the guy might have.

"It really means a lot, man," Barry assured the guy.

"Well, it all started with the murder weapon," Ralph continued, "the report said that Barry was found standing over the body and the knife was on the floor, so I started wondering, you know… just because the knife I myself planted in that previous investigation… yeah…" Dibny came to a sudden stop, ashamed of his previous actions and Harry just kept on glaring at him. When Snow noticed that, she gently elbowed him in the side so he would stop.

"Please, don't tell us you planted some evidence _again_ ," he did warned Dibny anyway.

"Oh, no, I swear you, guys, I wouldn't!" Ralph immediately denied, seeming to be appalled by the very idea. "I've learnt from my mistakes. I just thought that no one in the report said Barry had the knife in his hand, so I decided to check if he, indeed, touched it and guess what? He didn't!"

"But no prints doesn't necessary mean that he didn't use the weapon," Harry remained skeptical, "he could wipe them out. Of course, only in theory since we all know that he was framed."

"Sure. Sure. But then I decided to track Mrs. DeVoe when actually using the face recognition software, courtesy of lovely miss Smoak," Ralph continued with a dreamy smile on his face.

"Who is happily married to Oliver Queen," Iris informed.

"Right… yeah… anyway, I was looking for that body that DeVoe jumped into. And then, just when I thought he covered his tracks all too well… voila! There he was! On his merry way to Hawaii! And his wife was with him, but she actually made the effort to conceal herself with a wig and glasses and all. I followed them and I caught them! Now, Barry's free and she's in custody, being interrogated as we speak!"

"What a great way to start a new year," Caitlin murmured under her breath.

"So she ran away with her younger lover," Harry spoke again. "Ok, it does look suspicious to the police, but it's still not enough to pin the murder on her."

"But it was enough to cast just a shadow of doubt that Barry killed DeVoe," Ralph said, very proud of himself. "He claims he's innocent and that he was framed. Everyone in the precinct knows him well as a good citizen and a law upholder and what more, it was Mrs. DeVoe who kept accusing him of harassing her and her husband as only she filed a complaint. It all looks shady enough now, so we have a chance to prove that Barry is, indeed, innocent and all of that without revealing his real identity!"

"That's actually a lot, thank you, Ralph," Barry turned to Dibny. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you, so I really appreciate it."

"But you're still being watched, so I'd be careful about parading as the Flash," Joe finally spoke.

"Why? It's not like anyone can tell it's me with my speed…"

"But if you come back to prison, they'll notice that Flash mysteriously disappeared. Unless you count on sneaking out just to save the day," said Harry, still looking for a weak point.

"Ok, what is wrong with you?" Caitlin faced him. "You're acting all snappy today."

"That's because I haven't gotten enough sleep and I was dragged out of bed way too early…"

"Or maybe interrupted?" Cisco joked and was now the one on the receiving end of Harry's famous glare.

"Funny, Cisco. I could say the same about you. In fact, where's your date? Did she run away already?"

"Oh, I'll give you…"

"Caitlin?" Iris suddenly asked with worry in her voice and it immediately caused Harrison to shift all of his attention to the woman he loved.

And she did seem to be a little out of it because she actually stumbled.

Harrison caught her just in time and then steadied her, still having his arms put around her, though, afraid she might fall.

"Caitlin, honey, what's wrong?" he asked with worry evident in his voice and she just shook her head.

"I got… dizzy there for a moment. I think… I think I need to sit down and maybe have some water."

"But what can be wrong?" he still asked when Barry sped off and back and there was a glass ready for Caitlin to drink when she was already seated.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Maybe it's just the stress finally leaving my body now that we actually have a chance to prove Barry's innocence," she lied smoothly, catching Iris's eyes above Harrison's shoulder. The other woman seemed to actually understand and her own widened before she nodded and quickly left the cortex.

* * *

When Caitlin finally managed to convince everyone that she was fine and there was definitely nothing wrong, Iris joined her in her lab, carrying a small bag in her hand.

"Here you go," she said when handling it over.

"I think the blood test will be more effective, but… God, it's too early, isn't it?" Caitlin said, stressing out as she grabbed the small pink box Iris had gotten for her.

"Well, I figured you could do both just to be sure. A false negative this early is a possibility, right?" Iris asked when pulling up and chair and then taking Caitlin's hand to steady her. "You have nothing to worry about, Cait. Harry is head over heels in love with you."

"I know." Caitlin nodded when biting on her lower lip and staring at the pregnancy test in her hand. "I know that. It's just… How could we be so reckless? I mean, we were protected… except that one time. The first time," she informed.

"Sometimes once is all it takes. Even for a man his age," Iris added, trying to joke, but Caitlin wasn't laughing. "I'm sorry, Cait. I thought you eventually wanted kids."

"I did," her friend admitted, staring at the wall in front of her blankly. "I did, but…"

"You lost your husband. It's understandable that you're scared now."

"No, it's not that. It's that I _died_ , Iris, I died and Killer Frost saved me and now I'm both. I'm just scared what this child will turn out to be, if it has powers, if… if it even survives a transformation. What if I turn into her and I'll lose it?"

"Maybe we should just make sure you really are pregnant first?" Iris suggested and Caitlin nodded, heading to the bathroom. "And Caitlin?"

"Yeah?" The woman turned in the door.

"I'm sure that everything will be all right. Your influence on this baby will make him or her a wonderful person. I'm also sure Harry will tell you the very same thing. Besides, there's never a right time for starting a family."

"Did you and Barry consider that already?" Caitlin wanted to know.

"We assumed we would eventually have kids, yes, but I… well, I already have one of these behind me," Iris confessed when pointing the pink stick in Caitlin's hand.

"And…?" Snow prompted, really curious about that.

"Negative."

"Oh…"

"It's ok. I wasn't ready then anyway and the time… I know I did just say it's never right, but having a child when its father is still wrongly accused of murder…"

"Yeah, that could be harsh."

"All I can tell you is that it's definitely a last call for Harry despite men able to have kids in every age."

"Hey!" Caitlin finally smiled, getting the joke this time, "that's so mean! He's not _that_ old!"

"What's important is that you love each other and everything else is just background noise. Never forget that," Iris advised. "Besides, look at the bright side. He's already done the whole pregnancy thing and he raised Jesse pretty well, so I bet he'll be the best father you could hope for, for your baby."

Caitlin's face suddenly illuminated with a smile as she actually thought of it some more.

"You're right. He is."

"Isn't it too early for symptoms, though?" Iris asked one more question before her friend disappeared in the bathroom.

"It's really personal. It depends on how well you're in synch with your body, Iris," Caitlin explained. "I read about cases in which women knew just a day after, even though the test is always inconclusive so early."

"Well, ok. Good luck, then… I guess."

* * *

Harrison was looking for Caitlin, getting pretty worried about her since he hadn't seen her for quite some time. After she'd assured him earlier that she was fine and told him to help Barry, Joe and Dibny with the case, she just disappeared.

He was already panicking, looking everywhere, scared that she might be passed out somewhere as there was definitely something going on with her earlier and he hated himself that he'd just left her alone.

Eventually, when he was at the very verge of his patience, a thousands of different tragic scenarios running through his head, including Killer Frost; he found her just sitting on a stair in the Speed Lab.

" _Snow_ ," he said her name with as much emphasis as he could muster, "what are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

As he came near her, he spotted that she was holding a piece of paper in her hand and kept staring at it.

"What is it? Is there something wrong?" he asked when sitting right next to her, getting even more worried and actually starting to sweat. What if she told him she was sick? What if she decided she didn't want him, after all? And what the hell was that paper? He knew enough of her work by now to recognize it was some kind of a blood test results, but… " _Snow_ , _talk to me,"_ he hissed, nearly losing his patience and completely freaking out.

"I… I have something to tell you, but I have no idea how you will react once I do," she finally said slowly, still refusing to look at him.

"I can handle _anything_ unless you tell me you don't want to be with me anymore," he told her, not able to stand this tension any longer. His heart literally hurt.

"What?" That finally stirred her enough and she looked at him in shock. "Harry, I _want_ to be with you. _You_ and only _you_."

"Ok, that's a huge relief. What is it, then?"

"I… I did a pregnancy test today," she finally revealed and that answer rendered him speechless for a moment. While he was just staring at her with his eyes widely opened, she continued, "it turned out negative, of course. It's still very early, but then…"

"Then _what_?" he pushed, knowing that she couldn't possibly react this way to _not_ being pregnant. Maybe she couldn't get pregnant after Killer Frost. Or maybe…

"Then I also did blood test and… see?" She handed him the piece of paper.

"No, I really don't," he said harshly, sick of this anticipation. "You forget I didn't study biochemistry."

"Those hormone levels right here are elevated," she explained as it was easier for her now to just be the doctor she was instead of an expecting woman telling her boyfriend (?) that he was going to be a father.

"Yeah, but what does it _mean_?"

"It means pregnant." There, she said it. There was no coming back now. And everything inside of her was screaming. She was just too scared of his reaction since _this_ was never something they'd actually discussed dating like… for more than a week now.

He was stunned, staring at the diagrams on the paper as though he could see a child in there.

"Harry?" she asked a little while later when he still didn't say anything. "Harry, please, say something. I… I know we didn't plan this. I know this probably isn't how you imagined this… this… relationship, but…" Suddenly, her mouth was closed by his own landing there as he grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. He couldn't seem to stop, so she gave in, enjoying the ministrations of his lips and his tongue and…

Finally, he pulled away, his forehead resting against hers and his eyes opening to see hers.

"Does this mean you're not mad?" she asked, completely out of breath and he laughed. He actually _laughed merrily_ and she discovered it was the best reaction she could imagine.

"You know," he started when pulling away a little, but still keeping a hold on her face, "when Jesse was about to be born, I didn't think I could be a father material. I always buried myself in work, looking for everything there and her coming to this world…" he shook his head, taking his hands away and looking aside, "it was a miracle, Snow," he looked back into Caitlin's eyes. "It was as though her appearance awakened something inside of me. She was the one thing I needed and didn't even know it. She taught me to love unconditionally, to truly care and… Honestly, since she appeared in my life I always wanted more kids, but well…" he sighed, "it wasn't given. My wife died."

"Harry, I'm so sorry," Caitlin immediately said.

"It's ok. Really. It was a long time ago, but… having that chance again and what more, having it with _you_ , it means _everything_ to me. I know it's early, but… can I ask you to keep it?"

She was shocked when he said that and she immediately told him, "Oh my God, Harry, I would never get rid of a child! I always wanted to have one and I still do. I mean, I know I'm not getting any younger and biologically, it's the best time for me now, but…"

"What? You're worried I'm too old?" he joked, but then he saw the look on her face. "Hey, what is this really about? You know you can tell me anything."

"Killer Frost," she just said and it actually made a perfect sense. "I'm afraid what she might do once she finds out. I'm worried what this child will turn out to be with my metahuman genes and…"

"Hey, hey," Harrison tried to calm her down and he cupped her face again, "Snow, look at me. _Look at me_." Once she finally did, he spotted tears in her eyes and it pained him. "I will be there every step of the way and I am _sure_ this baby, whomever it will turn out to be, will be just as good and as amazing as you are. It's not _hers_ , it's not Killer Frost's baby. For God's sake, that woman can't even kiss a man without killing him…" Caitlin actually laughed through her tears when hearing that, suddenly feeling so much better to have his support, "it's _your_ baby. _Ours_."

She couldn't help it. She just had to kiss him again, lovingly, desperately, clinging to him like to a lifeline. She was happy. She couldn't deny it any longer. She was happy when suddenly discovering that she had everything she'd ever wanted. Ok, they were some setbacks, but this was just life, wasn't it? And if she could get through them with anyone, it was Harry. She was sure of it.

"I love you," he then whispered against her lips and she opened her eyes, her heart actually stopping there for a moment when she looked into his blue pupils conveying so much meaning, showing her such love and vulnerability.

There was really no other way she could answer him but by saying, "I love you, too, Harrison Wells." Even if seemed crazy.

* * *

"Ok, so we know it's crazy and it's happening way too fast and the timing isn't all that good," Caitlin started when once again she and Harrison stood before the team. Only this time the whole attention was focused on them as they wanted to announce the news they couldn't just keep to themselves when being so happy about it. "But the timing is never right," she then added when smiling at equally happy Iris who was just now standing by Barry's side, holding his hand. "I'm pregnant!" she finally yelled in excitement and there was stunned silence before everyone started cheering for her and Harry and congratulating them even if they were still shocked.

"Man, you just keep surprising us!" Cisco told Harrison when hugging him and patting his back.

It was then that suddenly everything went still and Cisco's eyes opened widely because of what he just vibed.

_Harry, seeming changed somehow, was just touching Caitlin's arm on an empty and dark street. His hand… it was all covered in some kind of a black, oily substance and once that came in contact with her skin, she started screaming in agony._

"Cisco, what's wrong?" Caitlin's voice barely managed to reach Cisco through all of that and he released Harry with his eyes widely opened and terrified.

"What's wrong?" Harry was the one to ask now and Cisco just kept staring at him, not believing what he just saw. It wasn't possible. Harry would never hurt Caitlin, much less his unborn child. Something had to be wrong with that vision. It just wasn't…

"Guys, I hate to break the mood, but… we got a problem," Ramon finally said.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ok, let me get this straight," Harrison said in a harsh voice when raising his hand to shut Cisco up. Caitlin could tell he was angry. In fact, his rage was simmering right under the surface and it could explode any moment now. She could also tell it wouldn't be pretty. "We just break the news that we are going to have a child and you're telling me that you _vibed_ me and that I, the man who would never _ever_ hurt the people I love and _you know that_ … you're telling me I'm going to _kill_ the mother of my unborn child?"

There was silence as everyone seemed to be afraid to actually argue with that, much less make Harry angrier.

"He's right, Cisco. This is not cool," Barry finally said, sending Caitlin a nervous glance. He could already see her slowly breaking down as well and he remembered how she'd come to visit him in prison and how they'd had that talk. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He would put her and Harry's happiness first for a change and he would do anything in his power to help them and not let anything bad happen to them. Because if anyone deserved to finally be happy, it was definitely those two.

"But that wasn't what I…" Cisco started and then stopped. "Ok, rewind. All I said was that I had a vibe and…"

"Did it ever occur to you that it might not be Harry you saw?" Iris suddenly asked. "It might've been some other Wells from some other earth and if we're just careful…"

"No, guys, that's so not how this works!" Cisco argued. "I mean, I get it could have been another Wells in a different scenario, but not in this one. I _touched Harry_ and I _saw_ it while doing it."

"You do realize how saucy that sounds, right?" Ralph just pointed out, but everyone rolled their eyes at him and shook their heads.

"Is it possible that you're metahuman?" Cisco asked Wells, folding his arms on his chest. It was clear to them that he felt very bad about what he had to tell them. In fact, Caitlin remembered how he'd been worried that she'd eventually hurt Harry and how he'd called the man one of his best friends. No one present in this room, not even Ralph, wished Harry bad.

"Not that I know of. I mean… if I had powers, they would've manifested by now, wouldn't they? Besides, I'm pretty sure I don't have a metahuman gene," Harrison answered, trying to pull himself under control and not actually burst out in anger.

"That was exactly what Caitlin thought before…" Barry started and then he scratched his head. "I don't know. Nothing makes sense anymore."

"Exactly! Nothing does!" Snow suddenly raised her voice, clearly being the one losing it first and it came as a surprise to them all. "Guys, I am sorry, but this has to stop! I am _sick_ of this constant problems we have to face! I survived Ronnie's death, I survived Zoom and Killer Frost, even though she's still a freaking part of me! Can't _I_ just be happy for a change?!"

"Caitlin…" Iris started.

"I know! I _know_ , OK?!" Caitlin screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Your life isn't perfect either since you were going to die and then when you finally got to marry the man of your dreams, freaking natzis crashed the wedding! Oh, and I haven't forgotten the trial that is still pending since Barry was wrongly accused of _murder!_ As though as having his father going through the exact same thing wasn't enough! I am just _sick_ of it all!" There was silence as everyone just started at her. "I am done! Maybe we should move, Harry," she then turned to the father of her child.

"Wait, what?" he asked, taken off track.

"Maybe we should just move to your earth and leave this one behind. Maybe _then_ it'll finally stop!"

"I guarantee you that running away from problems won't solve anything," he started in a strangely calm voice. Maybe he just sensed that it was exactly what she needed. Maybe he knew he couldn't lose it as well because someone had to hold her together and he'd become just that for her. "Besides, even if we did, Jesse's the Flash out there. There'll be metas and problems just like we have to face them here."

She knew it made sense. She really did. But it didn't change the way she felt.

"I can't," she nearly whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I can't do this again. I just can't."

Before he managed to reach for her, she turned away from him and moved to the door, running away.

"Snow!" he called after her and everyone just watched the scene with broken hearts. "Snow, we can fight this! We won't let it happen! Cisco vibed my earth being ripped to shreds before and it didn't happen! _Caitlin!_ " Finally, he caught up with her in the hall and he reached out and grabbed her arm.

This way she was forced to face him, but she still avoided his eyes. His heart broke at the pain he already saw reflected there and he cupped her face.

"Caitlin, I love you," he whispered when getting closer, their noses almost touching. "I love you and I won't let anything happen to you. I'll even leave if that's what it takes to keep you safe, but I promise you I _will_ find a way for us to be together, to have this baby and to finally be happy."

"No, Harry," she denied then when shaking her head and the tears only flowed harder. "No, don't you dare leave me!" she then put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly and all he could do was to pull her closer and hold her as though his life depended on it. And maybe it did. They were going to have a child. They would be a family and he would make damn sure that his family was safe. He wasn't going to give up. Ever.

"How about we let Cisco vibe me some more?" Harry eventually asked. "So we know what we'll have to face."

"I will never believe that you could hurt me. Not when being yourself, Harry," she said, "so there _has_ to be a very good explanation."

"There better be. Because if Cisco's losing his touch, well… he better pray."

They both knew it was crap, but at least it got Caitlin to chuckle, even if through tears, so Harry's job was done. He managed to make her feel better and cheer her up, if only a little. The rest would have to be team work.

* * *

They gathered up in the speed lab, ready to use the same device they'd used on Cisco and others once to get deeper into the guy's vibes. Still, in the end, it didn't give them much to go with.

"I'm sorry, guys," Cisco got frustrated, ready to just chuck the thingy across the room, but Harry stopped him. After all, he was sure they would need it again and building that thing required too much work and money to just destroy it like this. "All I see is Harry changed somehow," the guy went over the details one more time when pacing back and forth with hands put on his head. "You were… different…" he then turned to Harry, "dressed all in black… wait, ok, not that _that_ is different, but you were wearing some kind of a cape."

" _Cape_?" Harry repeated immediately. "Ramon, focus! We need _important_ details and not fucking rubbish!"

"Harry," Snow, back to herself and being stronger now, put a hand on his arm. "Easy. He's really trying here."

"No, he's right, Cait," Cisco actually admitted and they all looked at him in shock, the magnitude of the whole situation and the events leading up to what would eventually happen lying even more heavy on them. If Cisco was serious enough about it to agree with harry instead of argue with the man just for the sake of the argument itself… "Clothing doesn't matter here. The worst was your face. It was…" he continued.

" _Changed_ ," Harry guessed with a hiss that indicated him losing his patience. "We know that already. What does it matter? Or maybe you're trying to tell us that whatever the hell you vibed won't happen anytime soon. Maybe it will happen in years to come when Snow will be pregnant again."

Caitlin frowned when glancing at her partner. "You do realize I haven't even got a baby bump yet, do you? And you're already planning…"

"Not the point," he shushed her with a gesture of his hand, "but sure, why not? Let's have a big family. Ramon, go on."

"There were dark circles under your eyes and a vicious smile on your lips. You were… well, evil. To the bone. That one was clear to me from the moment I vibed it."

"What about that dark oily substance you mentioned earlier?" Barry asked. "What was that all about?"

"It was on his hands. It was… _dripping_ from his hands, but I can't tell whether they were dirty or if that was something else. Guys," suddenly, Cisco sighed and wiped his forehead, "I don't think we'll find out more from my vision. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Caitlin assured him when coming closer and placing her hand on his shoulder. "You saw enough, Cisco. Now you deserve some rest. We all do," she turned to the rest of the team. "This day was exhausting enough. Let's just take a breather. Maybe we should come back to Barry's trial. I'm sure that whatever may or may not happen with me and Harry, we'll see the signs before we get to the part where he… well…" her voice trailed off.

"No, we can't just let it go," Barry disagreed.

"Barry, you may actually go to prison for life," Caitlin reminded him.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do right now. Ralph's already working on the case, so let it stay that way. Besides, Cait, I promised you I won't put anyone else before you the next time you need help and this is it."

"I agree," Iris backed him up. "We'll keep working on it. You're pregnant, Cait. Get some rest."

"Pregnant…" Cisco suddenly gasped.

"Don't tell me your brain registered that piece of information just _now_ ," Harry said in exasperation.

Cisco just shot him a look and then said, "You didn't seem pregnant in my vision, Cait. So, either Harry's theory's right that it may happen during the next few years or… and that's more plausible…"

"It's all more imminent than we think," Caitlin said aloud what Cisco didn't really want to. "Whatever you saw, it will happen before I get to the later stage of my pregnancy. Great, good to know," she then added and just left the room.

Harrison followed, of course, worried about her, yet, once again.

When he caught up with her, though, she said, "No, Harry, don't say it. I'm fine. Really. I was just going to get some rest as Iris suggested."

"You know this situation is killing me, don't you?" he still asked. "I thought I could make you happy, Snow. I thought I could somehow mend your heart back together and give you the future you always wanted, the future you deserve and instead…" He looked away, his face defeated. "I'm sorry. Maybe you would've been better off without me."

"Don't say that," she told him when reaching for his hands. "I wouldn't be this happy with anyone else. I can see it now. And I's not your fault, Harry. Whatever will or won't happen, I know it won't be because of anything you will do."

"How can you be so sure when I'm _terrified_ that maybe there really is something wrong with me," he finally confessed when meeting her eyes. "I'm _afraid_. The previous Harrison Wells…"

"…wasn't even the real Wells," Snow immediately reminded him. "It was Eobard Thawne in disguise."

"But still…"

"No. Don't." She actually put a finger to his lips. "You have your flaws, I don't deny you that. But the truth is that I see them all and I love you anyway. I love all of you and I _know_ you won't hurt me. _You_ just won't."

He nodded, swallowing tears.

"What now, then?" he eventually asked.

"We'll just go home."

"You know, I really think that maybe for the time being… I'll stay away from your apartment and hang out with you only when there are other people around," he finally said it even though it would be one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do.

"Harry…" she started to protest when he made a step backwards and she reached for him again.

"Don't make this harder than it already is, please," he just said and came back to the speed lab.

Snow only sighed, swallowing tears. How could she make him understand that because of what he'd just done, she couldn't be more certain that he would never hurt her?

* * *

Caitlin was long asleep when the ice started to cover her entire body and eventually, she woke up, but she wasn't herself anymore. She was Killer Frost. And Killer Frost, when having just the slightly foggy memories of what had happened, frowned in disgust.

Ten minutes later she was already prowling the streets, instinctively looking for someone she was supposed to meet. She could've sworn he was somehow calling out to her.

"You want to get rid of her once and for all, don't you?" she finally heard the voice and she turned around to face DeVoe.

"You did make a huge change," she commented his appearance.

"I asked you a question."

"Of course I do. That goes without saying. And can you believe that now she's actually _pregnant_? The idea of having something grow inside of me is just repulsive! And what the fuck did she do to me that she made me _want to help_ save the world? I don't understand."

"Her influence on you is growing," DeVoe informed, "but I helped it a little. I helped you break through."

"Can you free me of her completely?"

"Why do you think I met you here?"

"Amuse me."

"If you help us, we will help you. What do you say?"

"I say that you've got yourself a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything about Cisco's vibe seems familiar? Did you see the short movie with Tom Cavanagh, Josh Dallas and Emily Brett Richards – The Sidekick? No? Go watch. It's AMAZING.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a story cover to the first chapter.

It was truly a strange sight to see everyone in the cortex up and working this early, Caitlin noticed when she finally appeared there in the early hours of the morning. She was in too much of distress to actually comment on that, but she appreciated her friends wanting to save her life so badly.

 _To save her life_ , she nearly shuddered when thinking that, suddenly realizing she just now seemed to be in the same position Iris had been all those months ago. Then again, she's already _died_ once. She didn't think she could survive it the second time.

It was Harry who spotted her first and then got to her immediately when dropping everything he was working on; the state she was in not missing his attention, the smallest detail registering in his brain.

"Snow," he said when putting his hands on her shoulders and looking at her. "Snow, what happened?" he asked her then because something was clearly wrong. She looked so distressed.

"I…" she started and then she just shook her head and tears flew down her cheek.

Harry didn't know what this was all about, but he acted right away, pulling her into his arms, making her feel safe and loved. And that was exactly what she needed, except the fact that it wouldn't really help her or solve their problems in the long run. That was when she cried harder and held onto him tight, clinging to his body.

"Cait, what happened?" Cisco asked, also getting to her and then Barry was second in tow, Iris peaking from over his shoulder. "Talk to us."

"I…" Caitlin tried this one more time and Harry just led her to a chair in which she sat down. "I woke up on the streets today with no memories of what happened during the night," she finally confessed and was met with blank stares. "The worst part is that I can _feel_ her being angry, being back to… before. I don't know why, but she doesn't want to play by the rules anymore."

"You think that _she_ might've taken control?" Harrison then asked gently, already scared shitless inside.

"What else could happen?" Caitlin just asked when accepting a tissue from Iris and wiping her eyes and her nose. "She's getting stronger, I can feel it. I just don't know what changed. I thought we could somehow work together, you know? After all, she did save the world."

"Maybe she's tired of being a hero," Harry guessed. "Who knows. She's a psychopath."

"You can tell that by all the times you hung out with her?" Caitlin asked and there was clear sarcasm in her voice.

"Snow, I already told you that it didn't mean anything. I also already told you I'd rather be with _you_."

"Exactly! She was just… fun, I guess," Cisco shrugged.

"Dude, not helping," Barry warned him.

"But we all prefer your company, Cait. You're our true friend and the one who never tried to kill us."

"I'm really afraid to ask, but… is the baby all right?" Harry interrupted the useless argument Barry and Cisco seemed to be having.

"That was the first thing I checked when I woke up. The baby is fine. I guess she doesn't affect it. Maybe it will have powers and that would be just great," Caitlin huffed, choosing sarcasm again as she was sick of this constant fear and worry that her life would get downhill, yet, again.

"I should have never left you alone," Harrison voiced his conscience when placing his hand on her shoulder. He just needed to keep touching her.

"No, I'm glad you did," she argued. "I'm glad you weren't there, because who knows what she might've done to you. You wouldn't be able to stop her."

"Well, last time I checked she was pretty fond of me."

"Last time I checked she had a change of heart and we still don't know why."

"Is there anything you remember? Anything at all?" Cisco made sure, thinking hard on the issue.

"I'm sorry, guys. No." Caitlin shook her head and then Harrison put her arms around her from behind and she just leaned into his chest, exhausted and terrified.

"There's only one way out of this situation," Harry then said. "We have to find a way to get rid of Killer Frost. What if she hurts our baby? What if she hurts Caitlin?"

"We already tried that, Harry. The cure didn't work," Snow pointed out.

"Well, then I have to confess to something. I've actually been working on my own version of the cure for quite some time now."

"You what?" Cisco frowned. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't tell _anyone_ , Ramon," the harsh answer came. "And I am sorry I didn't tell you, Snow," he then turned to the mother of his child. "I would have eventually. I just didn't want you to get your hopes up and… if you told me that you were fine with alternating between yourself and her, then I wouldn't push. I would leave this decision to you. I just wanted you to have a choice, some kind of back-up."

Caitlin smiled at him, seeing how wonderful he was with her and thanking her lucky stars that they'd finally seemed to collide with each other. The problem, yet, was that every time she was close to her happy ending, something always ripped it away from her.

"Thanks, Harry. And I do understand. I think I should get some rest now. Maybe lock me up in the pipe…" she didn't even finish when everyone started protesting. "But, guys, what if she comes back and hurts any of you?"

"We can handle her," Barry just told her. "You go take some rest in an actual bed. We'll wake you up if something comes up."

* * *

The moment Caitlin opened her eyes again, she was relieved that she hadn't seemed to have gone anywhere while sleeping. Then she turned to her side and saw Iris sitting in a chair right next to the bed, reading a book.

"Oh, you're awake," the girl smiled when putting the book away. "Harry refused to leave your side, you know, but we managed to convince him that he would be more useful working on the cure."

Caitlin just nodded and turned to her back again, bringing her hands to her eyes and rubbing them.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Iris," she suddenly confessed and then finally sat up.

"What do you mean? We're all here for you, Caitlin. It will be all right. You know we'll do anything in our power to help you and Harry."

"Yeah, I do," the woman in question nodded and then she bit on her lip when thinking hard. Next, she bit harder so she wouldn't start crying all over again. Recently she'd just felt like a crumbling mess and maybe all those tears were prompted by the pregnancy, but she knew there was something of the real her in them, too, as she had trouble handling her life recently. "It's just…" she started in a strained voice, "I am sick of being let down by life, you know? Once I had everything and I lost it. I lost Ronnie, _twice_ , actually. I lost my career and in the end, that didn't really matter because I found so much more and it turned out to be so much better. I found you, guys." Iris sent her a small smile on hearing that. "And I was fine, really. I was… happy on my own way, because at least I wasn't alone anymore. You know, before the particle accelerator explosion… I was lonely. Before Ronnie entered my life and then Cisco," she smiled again at the memory, "I knew nothing but work. And I wanted to be that way. It wasn't long until Barry came along and you and Joe and Wally and… yes, maybe Harry above it all. Although I wish I'd seen that one coming sooner…" the smile grew wistful as she thought of what she and Harry had been through together. How she'd almost lost the love of her life when he'd gotten shot and she hadn't even realized it then. "The thing is that whenever I come close to being truly happy with my life, I always end up getting hurt even more. Look at Jay and Julian, whom I didn't even feel for, but I was so consumed by not becoming Killer Frost… Now I can finally grasp that happy ending, Iris, I can _see_ it, almost touch it. I'm already pregnant for God's sake and… and I may lose it all again." This time she couldn't stop the tears and felt very embarrassed by them.

"Oh, Caitlin," was all Iris said before hugging her. "It'll be all right. I know it. If anyone deserves to be truly happy, it's you. You're so strong and you've already gotten so far. Don't give up now. Fight for your happiness."

It actually helped a little to hear that coming from her friend, Caitlin thought when she let Iris go and apologized for the pregnancy hormones raging in her body. Iris just waved it off with a smile.

And she was right. Caitlin was strong. Many women in her shoes would've long given up, stopped fighting and she was still doing just that. And she decided she would not give up. Ever. For Harry, because he didn't deserve the same thing happening to him twice either. He deserved a happy future rid of death and suffering. And she did, too.

Then she realized something else.

"What if… what if she's so angry because of the pregnancy hormones?" Caitlin asked. "What if she's fighting because she's starting to _feel_ too much?"

Iris didn't get the chance to share her point of view because they suddenly heard Barry calling them all.

They got to the cortex only to hear that he faced the Thinker.

"Are you all right?" Iris asked immediately when running into his arms, but he just nodded.

"Guys, I think we may have an even bigger problem than Killer Frost or maybe they're even connected in a way we haven't seen before," he started.

"What did DeVoe say?" Joe wanted to know.

"He said he'd bring the Enlightenment, whatever that means," Barry answered when scratching his head. "And then he added that no one will stop him. Not even us."

" _The Enlightenment?"_ Harrison repeated after the younger man when coming over to Caitlin immediately and putting his arm around her. "And what the hell _that_ means?"

"I guess we're running blind," Barry sighed. "God, I wish it just ended already! I'm still pending trial and…" He shook his head, pacing back and forth, clearly taken out of balance. "But I know we can defeat him!" he then said when standing still and facing the team again. "Abra-Kedabra told me once that Savitar was worse than all of my other enemies that I defeated and he mentioned DeVoe!"

"Ok," Harry nodded, "sure, great. Because _knowing_ you'll defeat him sometime in the future makes it all easier _now_! Maybe you should risk our lives _again_ and actually make a trip there!"

"Hey, hey! Calm down!" Cisco got in the middle, raising his hands. "I know we're all angry here and we're tired and want to solve this, but this is not the way, guys! We just need to work together!"

It was then that Harry jumped away from Caitlin with a hiss and they all saw why – she turned into Killer Frost and now was looking at them with murderous eyes.

She immediately struck at Barry who sped and avoided the ice, circling her and trying to get her from behind.

"Don't hurt her!" Harry screamed.

Cisco opened a portal and disappeared just to appear again and yell to Barry, "Push!" and he opened another portal to which Barry threw Caitlin. Then Cisco was gone again.

"Where the hell did he send her?!" Harrison screamed again and they all took up running.

They found Cisco standing in their prison downstairs, Killer Frost already locked in a cage.

"I'm sorry, guys, but Caitlin was right. We have to keep her locked up for now," he just said when turning to the rest of the team.

"How can you know she won't hurt the baby? Or Caitlin?" Harrison asked, going out of his mind with worry.

"She hasn't so far, so let's hope everything will be fine," Cisco tried calming the man down. "You need to hit the lab and make that cure, Harry, because I don't think we have another way to save her. You need to keep your head in the game just like you did with Jesse."

"Don't you dare mentioning my daughter! You have no idea what was going on inside of me when she was gone!" Harry finally lost it and Barry had to hold him back.

They suddenly stilled when they heard Killer Frost who'd so far been watching them in curiosity.

"All of you fighting over your precious, pathetic Caity. I should've known that every one of you would stab me in the back if you had to choose between us."

"And what did you expect, hah?!" Harry screamed. "That after you almost killed her, taking control, that after _everything_ you did for Savitar and all the people you hurt, we would just welcome you with open arms and put _you_ in front of _her_?!"

"Ok, Harry, that's enough. You need to cool off," Barry advised.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Harry roared so loudly that it rendered everyone speechless. "THIS IS MY _FAMILY_ WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!" There was such pain in his voice and tears welled up in his eyes that everyone's heart just reached for him. But he didn't want their compassion or pity. He just wanted Caitlin back and the only way to achieve that was by finding a cure.

"Ok, that's it," Barry just said and sped him out of there so he would calm down.

* * *

It was late at night when Harrison heard her scream.

He'd been working on the cure, putting all his effort and mind and skill to it, focusing only on this task, so he would complete it as soon as possible. He didn't sleep. He wasn't even tired as the adrenaline was cursing through his veins. The only thing he could think of was fixing Caitlin and getting his family back. Everyone else had already left the Labs, so he was the lonely wolf there until…

…until he heard the scream through the intercom he'd turned on to keep tabs on her.

It was so terrifying that he froze and then took up running until he was in the pipeline and right next to the cage where Killer Frost was kept.

"Help me!" she screamed again when she saw him standing there. She was on the floor, clearly in pain, holding onto her stomach. "Something's wrong… it hurts… it hurts…"

Yes, this wasn't Caitlin. This was still Killer Frost, but the baby was in this body no matter who occupied the mind, so Harry seemed to have no choice. He opened the cage.

Once he came closer and got down to check up on her, he felt pain in his thigh.

She stabbed him with something. That bitch just stabbed him with some needle, this whole thing being just an act. And maybe he should've known better, but he was a father who'd already thought once that he lost a child.

"Now, isn't that better?" Killer Frost asked when getting to her feet and watching him squirm on the floor for a change. "Oh, yes, it is," she answered herself.

She watched as his twitching body stilled and then he started to change.

"Beautiful," she said with a smile on her face before she disappeared. "Now you will help us bring on the Enlightenment." There was a dark oily substance dripping from his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Wow! What just happened? : P
> 
> I'm really doing my best to finish this before the Flash airs again, but we'll see. It's already so much longer than I thought it would be.


	8. Chapter 8

"This isn't happening," Cisco was murmuring under his breath while they were watching the security footage in the morning. "This… this… Darkman Harry's become… this just isn't happening, damn it!" He threw the empty soda cup on the floor in rage, the remnants of the liquid spilling red drops.

" _Darkman_?" Barry asked with a frown. "That doesn't really have a ring to it."

"Oh, my God! Who cares?!" Cisco screamed. "I'm losing my touch with the names because those are our _friends_ we're talking about, Barry! If he's… he's this…" Cisco gestured towards the computer screen on which they could see Harry's transformation. "He can hurt Caitlin now. My vibe will freaking come true and… and that would be the end of it! It's _Caitlin_! The girl's been through more tragedy in her life than I can even count and she _deserves_ to finally be happy! She deserves Harry who is stable and despite his gruff exterior, a really wonderful and loyal guy and… ah! The baby! They both deserve this new start!"

"Cisco, it's all right. Cisco," Barry came closer to his friend and put his hands on the man's shoulders. "Calm down, ok? Harry didn't attack her just yet. We can still stop this. We can stop all of this."

"How?" Iris finally spoke when coming closer. "Tell me how, Barry, because I hate to admit it, but Cisco may be right here. How can we help them?"

"The real question is how on earth Caitlin even got her hands on that thingy she stabbed Wells with," Ralph suddenly spoke with a hand on his chin, clearly deep in thoughts. "I just don't get it."

"You know what?" Cisco showed some enthusiasm there. "That's actually a perfect question! Caitlin is brilliant, but somehow I doubt that Killer Frost can make anything with those icy hands of her beside actual ice."

"So someone must've given her the syringe to stab Harry with," Iris summarized. "Someone she might've met that night Caitlin doesn't remember," she suggested then.

"Maybe someone who wants to bring on the Enlightenment, whatever that means?" Barry guessed the rest. "And here we are again. It's all my fault, isn't it?"

"How's DeVoe your fault?" Cisco wanted to know. "Flashpoint, Savitar - ok, I understand that, but DeVoe? Barry, less blaming, more thinking here, ok? Because I… I am really losing my touch, guys and slightly panicking here! Nope, not slightly. It's actually panic full on!"

"Ok, let's just… let's locate Caitlin," Iris stepped up and got to the computer, seeing that Cisco was truly at no use to them at the moment. "We can track her just like the last time. Let's take it from he… uh oh."

"What do you mean uh oh?" Cisco queried when taking a look at the screen. "Oh, crap, so she really is working with DeVoe. Damn it! You just can't trust that frosty bitch, can you? Barry?"

But Barry was already gone, seeing that not only DeVoe was on the scene but also Harry and he would not let Caitlin down this time. He would not let Harry or Darkman or whatever that man was, touch her.

* * *

The moment Barry arrived at the scene, a portal opened and Cisco jumped out of it with Ralph. Good, they needed all the help they could get and three to three seemed like better odds then one to three.

Cisco reacted immediately when opening 'fire' and making sure Darkman wouldn't get closer to Killer Frost while DeVoe just stood there, smiling widely.

"What did you do to them?!" Barry asked the man.

"Oh, I killed two birds with one stone, Mr. Allen," the Thinker provided the answer. "Thanks to me, Killer Frost will eventually fight off the lovely miss Snow's influence once and for all and kill the baby along with its mother."

"No!" Cisco screamed. "I won't let her!" Now he was just plain angry and out of control and it was Ralph who had to hold him back. DeVoe only laughed when seeing that.

"What about the baby's father?" Barry just asked, fisting his hands but doing his best to remain calm beside that. He needed to get as much information as he could before he would strike. Knowledge was the difference between life and death at the moment.

"I gave him powers. He's so magnificent, isn't he?" DeVoe pointed Darkman who just stood there, not moving, an empty look in his eyes as though he was a puppet. "He can spread the disease now. Everyone he touches will become metahuman."

Suddenly, it all cleared out in Barry's brain and he asked, "So this is your way of bringing the Enlightenment."

"It took you long enough. Too slow on the uptake, Flash?" DeVoe teased him with that never-fading smile of his.

"So you'll free Killer Frost from Caitlin by having Darkman kill that part of her?" Cisco asked.

DeVoe just shrugged. "Either that or she does that herself. We'll have to wait and see if Frosty here is strong enough."

"Oh, I am strong enough!" she spoke, seeming offended. "Don't you even come near me! I can do this on my own!" she then threatened the Darkman.

"We'll see," Harry finally spoke, but his voice seemed so different and disfigured that he didn't remind the old self at all. There was also this cruelty appearing in his eyes. Cruelty and nothing else and it shook his friends to the bone because even if they had a chance to save Caitlin, did they have one to save him as well?

Barry almost imperceptibly nodded at Cisco who was free of Ralph's hold by now and much calmer. That was a signal for attack since they found out everything they needed and they had no time to waste.

While Darkman and Killer Frost went forward, attacking as well and protecting DeVoe, the man in question disappeared.

"Guys, we don't know what touching him will actually do," Cisco suddenly reminded them as Ralph started to stretch with the intention of closing in on Darkman. That wouldn't work with Killer Frost since she was icy all over, but maybe… just maybe…

"I'll have to risk it," Ralph said. "You were right. Caitlin deserves better and it's up to us to… wow!" He ducked since the woman just tried to ice him.

Barry ran forward, trying to catch DeVoe, but there was no sign of the guy so he came back quickly, making circles around Darkman and Killer Frost, trying to confuse them. Killer Frost eventually managed to strike him and he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor with a painful gasp, but then he spotted that Ralph managed to get Darkman. He immobilized his sides so the man couldn't use his hands and apparently that was all they needed. Cisco opened a breech right away and they were gone.

"One down," he said and then faced Killer Frost.

Only she, seeing the odds, was already floating in the air on her ice.

"Damn, that's cool." Cisco shook his head and opened a portal.

"Hey!" Barry stopped him. "What if you fall?"

"I have to risk it, Barry. She's my friend!"

Barry looked up, estimating the situation and then he sighed.

"Fine. Together."

Cisco nodded.

* * *

In the end, Barry lost Cisco, the guy just disappearing in one of the portals and not appearing again, refusing to let it go. There was also no sign of Killer Frost and Barry was actually scared for their lives. Yet, he had no choice but to come back to the Labs. He couldn't track his friends any other way.

"Iris, I need help tracking Cisco!" he barged into the cortex, the whole situation lying heavy on him because he was just now starting to see how right Caitlin had been when she'd come to see him in jail. He cared, he really did, but he wasn't always willing to sacrifice everything for his friends as his life with Iris always came first. It was different when he'd been single, but now he promised Iris he would come home to her, so being the Flash and working so closely with his friends, being in so much danger, it was all taking a toll on their relationships. Yet, it was Cisco who took the biggest risk, following Killer Frost to the very end, even though he'd once vibed her freezing his hands off. In the end, all that he was truly afraid of was hurting her. He never cared for her hurting him even though he, too, was in love and had a girlfriend he wanted to come home to.

Iris was just sitting in a chair, staring at something that she held in her hand.

"Iris?" Barry frowned. "Iris, what's wrong?"

When she turned to him, he noticed she was actually crying.

"What happened?!"

"He just loves her so much, Barry," Iris sobbed and he was lost there.

"What are you talking about?"

"I wandered into Harry's lab and saw this," she showed him the vial she was holding. "Can you believe he's actually been working on a cure for Caitlin all this time? I mean, I _think_ he was because what else this can be? I saw the notes he made while working on it… and… I think it's ready. Or close anyways."

"Wait… what are you saying?" Barry asked, completely stupefied.

"That Harry wanted to help Caitlin get rid of Killer Frost. He wanted her to have a choice in the matter, to have a normal life with him, to have that baby with no complications. He loves her this much, Barry."

"I'm starting to see that he loves her as much as I love you and just because of that we need to do _everything_ in our power to help them," Barry agreed with a nod. "Help me find her. I will bring her in. We will give her the cure."

"Well, I'll need to get in touch with Caitlin's mother and Julian first. We can't be sure it's ready," Iris pointed out.

"Julian? Do you really think it's a good idea? Besides, the cure they both produced didn't work all the way," Barry reminded.

"Who else can help?"

"The Council of Wells," they suddenly heard Cisco's voice behind them. "If anyone can make a successful cure, I am positive it's Harrison Wells and when we can't really use our Harry…"

"Let's do it," Iris agreed, a newly found energy coiling up in her body.

"Cisco… I lost the track of you… what happened?" Barry asked, checking his friend for any injuries. He seemed worn down, but in overall he was fine.

"Yeah, she got me right here," Cisco pointed a spot on his side, "but I'll live. This baby is ice-proofed now," he patted his suit. "I have her locked up."

"Really?" Barry opened his eyes widely. "This can't be this easy. DeVoe wouldn't just let them be captured like this."

"No, he wouldn't. Darkman did mention he'd come to get them when needed, so I don't know how much time we have left," Cisco answered. "Better work fast."

* * *

A few hours later, lots of talking the issue over with all the Wellses Harry had befriended and lots of nervous pacing from Iris, Ralph and Joe; they had the final ingredient and Barry with Cisco added that to the cure Harry had already created, hoping for the best.

"So you're positive this won't harm the baby Caitlin is carrying?" Cisco made sure one last time when facing the Wellses.

"Who do you think we are? If this child is Harrison Wells's, then it's genetically ours as well, right?" the answer came. "Although he was the one having all the fun while making it…" was added then and Cisco frowned.

"Please, don't," he just said in a squeaky voice. "I still haven't gotten over seeing your junk, man."

"Really? Wanna take it for a spin?" The Wells asked without actually understanding the irony behind Cisco's words.

"Argh! No! That's so not… you know what? Never mind! Goodbye! So long and thanks for all the fish! You've really been very helpful, but we got to go now!" He pushed the right button and breathed out with relief when the Council flickered and disappeared from his sight. Then, when he turned to the rest of the team, he found them all boring their eyes into him. "What?! I only saw it by accident! And it was… I am not… Can we just get back to work so this could all be over and I could go visit my lovely _girlfriend,_ mind you?!"

"I don't even want to know," Barry just said when shaking his head. "So, yeah, definitely."

"Fantastic!"

"Guys, we got a problem!" they heard Iris calling to them and then she ran into the cortex. "DeVoe with a pretty damn big army of metahumans is just outside the S.T.A.R Labs. We need help! We can't take them all!"

"Speak for yourself, sister!" Ralph told her, preparing for the battle.

"We still need to admit this cure to Cait," Cisco turned to Barry. "Iris can't do this without getting iced."

"Fine. We'll go. Iris, you better call for some back-up," Barry told his wife and then disappeared with Cisco.

* * *

"What if this doesn't work?" Barry asked his friend as he opened the prison Killer Frost was held in and Cisco made a portal to quickly put on her hands the powers dampening cuffs.

"It _has_ to work. Trust me, if anyone was motivated enough to make this happen, it was Harry." 

Killer Frost was kicking and screaming, but without her powers she was defenseless against two other metahumans.

Once the cure was in her veins, she stilled and then would've fallen to the ground if Barry hadn't caught her in time and just laid her on the floor gently.

They heard the clicking of Iris's heels and then she was right by their side.

"Guys, we need you outside! Now!"

"On it!" Barry and Cisco nodded and after shooting one last glace at their common friend, they were gone. It was now up to Iris to stay with the girl until she woke up.

She didn't have to wait for long because soon enough she could watch in fascination as the ice started to slowly retreat and Caitlin's hair was coming back to normal as well.

Next, the woman woke up with a groan.

"What am I doing here?" she asked when sitting up on the floor and then she noticed the cuffs on her wrists. "Oh, no! What did she do? And… Why do I feel so…?"

"Free?" Iris guessed. "Caitlin, you're cured."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have to forgive me. I am no good with writing any fighting scenes or dragging them on. That talent must've skipped me! LOL Also, I think that whatever the writers will come up with considering DeVoe will be much better than my story, but well… I have to come up with some kind of an ending :)
> 
> Check out my newest snowells story called Way Home. Caitlin travels to Earth Two to start a new life there! I think this will be much better than this one and Wasteland and I am so excited for it!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm gonna be super honest here. I didn't know his to finish this story. I didn't want to disappoint, but yeah, I kind of ran out of inspiration on this one. Here it goes, though I know the actual show will do a much better job. Well, if snowells gets together because if they're not, then no, that won't be a better job:p
> 
> Check out my other story Way Home, it's much better and the ideas I got for this one are mind-blowing! Also, today I posted a small piece Imagine Cisco's reaction to Caitlin and Harry dating – read it! You'll have a blast!

"So let me get this straight," Caitlin started when pacing back and forth, having just listened to Iris's explanation of the situation. "Cisco's vision came true. And right now there's a whole army of metahumans outside, led by DeVoe."

"Well, no, we actually stopped it from coming true since you're still here, aren't you? And Killer Frost is gone once and for all."

"This cure Harry made..." Snow thought hard, doing her damned best to focus on the problem at hand instead of just letting herself fall apart. Because she might be back. Because her issue might be over and she could just go on and have the baby, but... but she might have to do this all alone. _No_ , something inside of her screamed as she was truly on the verge of breaking. _No_ , this was not how their story ended. Harry would not end up a metahuman with powers that killed the good in people and turned them into monsters. _He will just not_.

"Is there anything left?" Snow continued with her questions, still fighting herself and her emotions.

"Caitlin..." Iris started.

"Is there anything left?!" Caitlin raised her voice and tears finally flooded her eyes.

"The cure was designed specifically for your DNA. It won't work on Harry. If we want to try and get him back, we need to start all over again."

"We can't, because the only person who can figure this out is him!" Caitlin screamed.

"Then the Council of Wells will help again, but for now we have to get you to safety."

"No," Caitlin disagreed, shaking her head. "No. I need to see him."

"That's not a good idea, Cait. What if Cisco's vision can still come true?"

"I said I want to see him _now_!" The dam finally broke altogether and Caitlin covered her face with her hands, sobbing. "Iris, I can't do this again. I can't lose him, too! I won't!"

"I know that and I promise you we will do everything in our power so that doesn't happen, but you need to..."

It was too late, though. Caitlin was already walking to the panel installed on the wall and pushing the right button for Harry's cube to come forward, replacing the one she was in earlier.

What she saw left her even more shaken up since the man, though similar to the one she loved, definitely wasn't her Harrison. It was a monster.

"Harry?" she still asked in a shaky voice.

At first, there was no response when he looked her up and down with clear disapproval, making her feel uncomfortable.

"I knew Killer Frost was too weak to get rid of you," he eventually said in a voice so detached, cold and menacing that she couldn't even recognize it. Yes, Harry could be mean sometimes. Ok, maybe most of the times, but whatever he did, even being angry, he did with passion which this creature clearly lacked.

"Harry..." Snow couldn't speak and needed to take a deep breath to maintain at least some of her control. Still, it didn't seem to work since all she saw was him being stuck this way and kept in the pipeline forever while she would be giving birth to their child and possibly raising him or her alone. She just couldn't stand the thought of that. "Harry, I know you're still in there. You have to be. Just... you can fight this. Fight this. For _me._ "

In response, the monstrosity only smiled to her in superiority.

Next, two things happened. The whole building seemed to shake and Iris screamed they needed to go, but Snow was just standing there, frozen.

"Caitlin, come on! It's not Harry anymore!"

But he was to her. To her he would always be Harry, the man she fell in love with. The man she should've fallen in love with a long time ago, actually.

Almost in the same time, they heard a new voice and turned around in surprise.

"I liked you better when you were frosty," Rory said when making his way to Caitlin.

"What are you doing here?" she just asked him, stupefied.

"Here. Gidean cooked you this." He handed her a syringe with some dark liquid inside. Her question remained unanswered.

Caitlin could just stare at the man.

"Barry told me to call the Legends and give them all the info we had," Iris explained then.

"And time traveling made it possible to give you this cure on time," Heatwave shrugged and Snow finally accepted it.

"It's too late. I'm already cured," she told him then, still not understanding.

"It's not for you, sister. It's for him." He pointed Harry and her eyes only opened wider in response.

"I..." she stammered. "I don't know what to say..."

"Then a kiss would be nice," Rory pointed out.

"That won't happen, but what about...?" She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him. "This and forgiveness for kidnapping me?" she suggested.

"Will do. Need to go back and fry some suckers before they win the battle all without me!" he said next and was gone.

"Anddd… he's back," Snow sighed, but then her eyes were set only on the vial she held in her hand.

"Caitlin, we should really wait for Barry before we... What if he touches you?!" Iris screamed when Caitlin just opened the door. "Caitlin, stop!"

Only Snow didn't listen. She took a swing and just when Darkman raised his hand, seeking her arms to touch and infect, she managed to stab him there and jump away, nearly knocking Iris off her feet when the girl was forced to catch her.

Then they both jumped even further away when the monster's body stilled and he suddenly jerked forward, scratching at the needle mark as though it could help him get rid of the cure. It was too late, though. It was already in his veins.

He started changing right in front of their eyes until he finally stumbled, leaning against the wall and Caitlin was already by his side, her arms supporting him, Iris screaming at her again to get away because it might not be safe just yet.

But it was. It was.

When Harry's eyes looked into hers and she saw the familiar and full of love expression in them, she broke to pieces yet once again and then thrust herself straight into his arms, needing to be as close to him as possible, needing to feel his breath and the beating of his heart.

They heard some explosion coming from the outside, but they didn't care, being in their own world, enjoying their victory. Because they just won their happily ever after. They finally had their happy ending within their grasp.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Caitlin heard Harry apologize to her, his voice in her ear all husky and full of guilt.

"It wasn't your fault," she told him immediately. "And... you made the cure for me. You have no idea how much this means... and how much I love you. Thank you."

"I never finished it, so how?"

"Cisco called the Council of Wells."

"They're all idiots and I hate them, but... yeah, good call."

She swatted him playfully on the shoulder.

They heart some rumble in the distance and then realized Iris was gone.

"Snow?"

"Yes?" She asked, still being in his arms and having no intention of letting him go like ever.

"What's happening?"

"You know what? For once, I don't even care."

* * *

_Nine months later_

"S'cuse me, s'cuse me, coming through..." Cisco was making his way through the hall with a string of huge blue balloons. "Coming through..." he finally burst into the right room. "Now, who's ready to meet his favorite uncle?!

"You're late," Barry told him. "Even your girlfriend made it sooner." He pointed Gypsy.

Iris, Joe and Jesse were already inside, too, celebrating the birth of Caitlin and Harry's child. The couple currently snuggling up in bed while the newest mom was holding her baby boy. It was clear that they didn't see the world outside their little bubble of happiness.

"So I guess I'll be the favorite uncle," Barry then added.

"Dude, do you have any idea how hard it was to get this perfect set of balloons?!"

"Ramon, just admit you've been going out of your mind ever since you knocked this one up," they suddenly heard Harry's voice and then the man pointed Gypsy without even looking away from his son and wife.

Cisco swallowed hard. "Nope." He shook his head a little too fast. "I'm good. I'm happy." He walked over to his fiancée and put an arm around her, still holding that string of balloons in the other. "I'm gonna be a great dad and she'll be a great mom. My only concern is about the grandfather of this baby and I ain't talking from my side of the family here."

"Baby, but you always say you want to experience my daddy actually loving someone. You just wait and see what a great grandpa he'll be!"

Cisco swallowed. "Yep. Yay! Right. And hey, if it's a girl, then maybe she and this little fella right here..." he pointed Wells' baby.

"No. Off limits," Harry immediately growled and Snow just smiled at him lovingly.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you more."

"What's happening? It's like she doesnt even hear what he's saying and that it's mean!" Cisco complained and then turned his sight away. "Kissing again! Wonderful! Like I didn't get enough of that those last nine months working with those lovebirds! Harry, are you sure that cure didn't change your personality, because... hey!" Cisco flinched as Harry just threw a teddy bear at him. "Nope. Still Harry," he decided.

_The end_


End file.
